The Dark Belle
by santana the strange
Summary: When Belle and her best friend Red leave for a college trip to a castle in the middle of France, all is not as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

_**Once upon a time there was a handsome young man, who was popular with all that he met. He was kind and loving. But that wasn't enough for some people. The goodness in his heart was just too much for some people to cope with. **_

_** The young man fell in love with a kind and beautiful young lady, who was very charitable and easy to talk to. They had so much in common that he couldn't help but love her. But their love was doomed the moment it began, for fate had something quite sinister in store for the young lovers indeed.**_

_** Fate, as is well known is a cruel god, used to getting his own way. And from the dawn of time he had created soul mates, mortals conceived at exactly the same time. These mortals could only touch and hold their mates, though family members and friends could also hug and hold their relations. However these mortals would have matching birth marks and those that did not could not have soul mates. This was one such couple.**_

_** But one day Fate grew jealous of the handsome young man, of his friends and his popularity with every mortal that he met. For you see Fate had no friends, for he was cruel and deceitful to all that he knew, including his own family. And Fate did not want this mortal to have such luck, to have such perfection in his life. He wanted the mortal man to suffer the way that he had suffered. He wanted the mortal to be lonely, for that is how Fate had felt for centuries, for he had no true friends only his family.**_

_** So this god turned to the darkest of the magiks and summoned a creature that has not since been sought. Fate summoned the grand high witch of black magic. She was the cruellest and the most powerful. She had been born without emotions so she cared not that what she was doing was evil. **_

_** She disguised herself as an infant and placed herself inside a basket on the mortal lovers' doorstep, to the delight of the wife who could not bear children, for her womb had been severely damaged in an accident.**_

_** So taking the "infant" in as their own, and beginning a family they never knew that what would befall them would be so devastating.**_

_** Before the first day of the full moon, the infant had already decided upon her plan: to make the young man as grotesque as was possible. She knew this would please Fate as she believed, through her lack of understanding and emotion, that the young man's good looks and charm were the reason for his popularity with the people. **_

_** And as the clock struck midnight, the witching hour, the infant showed her true forms to the shocked and repulsed lovers. Yet they had not time to stand in horror, before she began chanting and casting a magic circle around the male.**_

_** And when she was done with her spell the male that stood before her was no longer human. No he had become a beast. Terrifyingly grotesque the young woman screamed in fear and raced for the door. He tried to follow but not knowing his new form he managed to kill his lover with his strong, unyielding claws.**_

_** And on his cloud far above the medieval village Fate sat and laughed, delighted with the witches work. He believed that nothing and no one could have performed a better spell than if they had been to kill him. The mortal was ugly and his lover dead, their momentary happiness at a family destroyed. No god could have been more gleeful than Fate on such a devastating day in humanity…**_

'**Isabelle are you still reading that book about the beast?' Belle looked up with her beautiful jade green eyes as her best friend Red entered the library. Red, so named for her fiery ginger curls that fell in waves to her curvaceous waist. With bright blue eyes, and seductively blood red lips Red was the catch of many of their classmates' eyes. And not just the boys.**

** 'Yeah, sorry it's my favourite story; I just can't put it down. I mean there's magic, gods and a curse that can't be broken. Oh and my favourite. Death.' A natural brunette Belle had dyed her hair black and painted her lips blood red, obsessed with dark magic and death as she was it matched her personality perfectly.**

** 'Oh Belle you must give up this obsession with the gothic stereotype, you're going to get in so much trouble if the matron sees you wearing any of those dark clothing again. Do you want to get kicked out?' Red asked to which Belle shook her head.**

** Unlike many of the other teenagers at the boarding college Belle could not afford to get expelled. They had families to go back to, homes warm for them at the end of every term, but Belle did not. Many years ago, Belle's mother and father had died in a plane crash just on the outside of their home in France, returning from Italy.**

** They had died exactly at the same time the coroner had revealed at the funeral, as though that could make Isabelle comforted, that her parents had died together. It hadn't helped. And ever since that fateful day Belle had grown obsessed with death and how it worked; what made people want to kill others. And that somehow had led to her obsession with dark magic. Perhaps it was the fact that there were spells in there to curse and kill people.**

** 'I will not,' Belle replied defiantly to Red's order. She did not like taking orders from others. Living back at home with her living parents she had been wealthy and had been used to ordering the servants around. Here at the college many ordered her around and she did not like it. **

** And just as she was wondering what the outside world would be like, the matron herself entered the library, but thankfully for Belle she was still in her uniform and did not warrant punishment.**

** 'I have been asked to deliver to both of you girls a permission slip,' the woman replied just as they were both looking at each other wondering what the matron had wanted from them.**

** Taking the forms with a thank you the two friends sat and read them.**

** 'Oh, my god!' they squealed with excitement as one.**

** 'We're going to a castle in the southern part of the country. I love castles!' Belle exclaimed happily as she grabbed the book she'd been reading and packed it away in her bag. It was her own book after all.**

** 'Maybe you'll find your dark prince there,' Red joked to which Belle punched her in the arm.**


	2. Chapter 2

**As Belle and Red packed for their weekend away at the castle, Isabelle found herself longing for the dark magiks and packing her jet black clothing. If she was going to behave at this castle Belle was going as herself, not as someone she could never pretend to be. No the blue dresses she kept for appeasing the matrons and the teachers were not who she was. Belle was no innocent, had she the instruments and the magiks there would be many people dead beneath her hands.**

** And as she raced around her room wondering which of her many books she would be taking with her to wait out the long hours at night she thought about the adventure that was awaiting her. She would not be able to sleep in the castle, not because she was afraid but because she was intrigued by them, the many hidden rooms and the trap doors. Although most of all she loved to hear about the legends surrounding each castle. However she had not learnt of any legends of this castle they were to be visiting: Le Chateau de bêtes de maudites. Though the name was surely a hint at whatever legend the chateau held, Belle was smart enough to know that one should never believe in what is so readily given. It would be like the murderer in a murder mystery telling you that he was the murderer right at the beginning.**

** But no fear Belle would learn the truth of the castle one way or another; she was very intelligent and very good at murderer mysteries. She would learn the mystery of the Chateau. **

** Pushing the thought aside to gather her books, Belle reached for the one she'd been reading the day before, the book of fairy tales and in each of them there was magik, magik that had to be true. For each fairy tale held some kind of truth, for example Snow White. In that tale the narrator taught children and adults alike not to take food from strangers. In the Grimm's version snow white had eaten the apple and fallen into a coma. Yes she'd had her handsome prince come to rescue her, but if he hadn't been there she would have died. **

** If Snow white had been in real life she would have died, for it was almost impossible to find your handsome prince, for you had to have been conceived on the same day that he was.**

** 'Hurry up Belle,' Red ushered as she sat on top of her suitcase, trying to squash in all of the clothes and the make-up that she had packed, as she zipped it up. **

** 'Okay, one second,' Belle stalled, as she made her way to the bedside table and acquired a book, blood red in colour with a black pentagram surrounded by a ring of triquetra. This was her book. She was most attached to this one, yet it was neither a diary nor an art journal. Belle knew not what to use it for. But something about this trip made her drawn to it again, drawn to take it with her. And perhaps on this journey Belle would find some use for it. **

** Belle had strived for magik in her life, perhaps she would soon find it…**


	3. Chapter 3

_In the castle of the beasts the wind screams loud and the dungeon doors slam shut._

_A dark haired woman sits alone in the middle of a large room; she is within a magic circle, runes and symbols glowing bright. This woman is his salvation, though she does not yet know it. The woman raises her bright green eyes, so like her mother's, to the book before her and reads aloud an incantation:_

_ Beast trapped within the other plane_

_ Come back to the chateau once again_

_ Find here your mate_

_ And seal your fate_

_She repeats the spell five times as she lights each candle around the pentagram within the circle, leaving the spirit last._

_ Find here your mate _

_ And seal your fate_

_She repeats the last two lines of the spell once again before lowering her blood red lips to each candle and blowing them out._

_ When nothing happens at first she becomes discouraged. She had done everything that the book said, had read the tarot cards and the runes and had timed the spell accurately. Distraught she realised that perhaps she didn't have any magik in her after all._

_ Just when she is about to leave the spirit candle flickers to life again, glowing a bright blue and the mark upon her right breast begins to burn and itch. It begins to hurt. The dark woman covers her breast with her hand and awaits the oncoming male. She wonders if she could really be a beast's mate. After all things like that was the stuff of Grimm fairytales. They didn't really exist did they? So why was she getting all the symptoms of the fateful meeting between mates?_

_ In the scant spaces between her and the door a growl sounds and she jumps. Yes she considers herself strong but when faced with the unknown it did frighten her._

_ 'Hello who is there?' She asks, getting up from the floor and carrying the spirit candle, the only light in the now otherwise dark room. _

_ 'Don't come near me!' the shadows bark out a stiff order and the dark woman snorts derisively. _

_ 'I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't take orders,' she informs him, edging closer to his location deep in the darkest shadow, but she cared not she loved the dark. Worshipped the dark goddess Hecate herself. She was blessed with the courage in the dark by the goddess. The dark fed her and strengthened her in everything that she did._

_ 'Well you'd be careful to heed mine. I am far too dangerous for any mortal being. I could render you in half with but one of my...paws,' the shadows barked back and she realised that it was indeed a creature that she was conversing with, but for it to be a beast?_

_ 'Are...are you my mate?' The dark one asks of the shadows as she edges even closer, she can see the brown of its eyes now._

_ 'You! You are the one that has bought me here? After it took so long for me to tear myself away from this dimension, this plane for everyone's safety. Do you have any idea how long and how hard I had to study the magik to get there in the first place? And I had sworn never to get involved in magik again, but here I find myself summoned by a mortal...girl claiming to be my mate, when I have lived over hundreds of years and more lifetimes than I would have preferred. I don't deserve to be alive. I don't deserve this grotesque appearance. I never wronged anyone when I was in my human form,' the being spoke and the woman edged closer, gasped. _

_ He was a beast! With claws made for ripping through meat and fangs that looked like they could tear your head from your neck with a single bite. He had ears that spiked so harshly he could have been an elf. He was covered in fur, and scars. And yet she was not scared by what she saw, he was of the darkness just as she was. She could relate. They'd both been dealt a harsh hand by fate. And she would help him, they would help one another._

_ 'What are you staring at?' The beast growled, bearing its fangs but she was not deterred. She examined those lips more closely, saw that they were as soft as petals and longed to kiss them. It had nothing to do with the excruciating pain in her breast or the fact that she would wish to sleep soon. No the dark woman found herself attracted to what was supposed to be, or would be, considered by society, a grotesque monster._

_ 'You...you're...' she trailed off when he blew the candle from her hand._

_ 'Not another word woman,' he growled a warning and then came darkness._


	4. Chapter 4

'Belle, it's time to wake-up,' Red spoke and with a slight shake Belle was awoken from her uncomfortable position in the coach chair.

'We're here?' Belle asked and scrambled up to look out the window at the view. It was snowing in this part of France, even though it was in the middle of summer. The dark castle was covered in it and looked just like something out of a Grimm's fairy tale, though much, much more grim.

With spires as sharp as lances climbing up toward the sky, and towers that climbed even higher, it was terrifying. With the snow all around it, it could be mistaken for a haunted castle. Belle loved it and, so wiping the sleep from her eyes and combing her fingers through her hair she grabbed her bag and jumped off of the bus.

'Yes, isn't it wonderful?' Red asked to which Belle uncharacteristically squealed girly and threw her arms around her best friend; she just could not contain her excitement.

'Are we at the wrong place?' Monsieur Joulton asked concerned to which the girls looked up at him in confusion.

'Excuse me monsieur what do you mean the wrong place?' Red asked as Belle took in the midnight black gates of steel that seemed to tower way over the entire castle if looked at from a certain height.

'I mean this is not the castle that we were invited to. Firstly it is surely not a place of learning, and secondly there is nobody here to welcome us in,' Joulton explained, just as the old gates creaked open and a servant of some sort exited the castle grounds. He had to be a servant for he was dressed identical to many of the servants she'd had at home when she'd had one. The college was great and all, it served a purpose, but it was no home for her.

'Apologies for my lateness. Monsieur Joulton, I suppose?' the servant asked and the professor nodded. 'Ah, welcome to Le chateau de bêtes de maudites, I am Monsieur Barbary, head servant at the castle…I do hope you will forgive me but the master is not at home at present. He has not been home for many, many years, but he shall return when the time is right.' At that last sentence his gaze strayed to her, Belle, in her black as night skinny jeans and her obsidian black top with her blood red gloves.

Does he mean me? Belle wondered to herself and tried to remember the dream she'd had on the coach on the way from college. She'd fallen asleep pretty early on in the journey, but could not recall much of the dream. Hmm she wondered why, when she was so very good at recalling the dreams that she had. Dismissing the insane thought, since when did anything revolve around her anymore; she thought to ask a question of the servant.

'What is the legend surrounding this castle?' She asked, in the hope that he would give her an answer. She had searched the computers, the internet, and books and had found nothing, not a single legend to give her some kind of clue. Perhaps the castle itself would give her a clue.

'What a curious young lady, you must be very intelligent, but I apologise for I myself know nothing of the legend, only the architecture of the building, but as you are so curious about the Chateau itself, surely you would be curious to know of how and when it was built?' The servant asked and Belle gave a curt nod. Fine, she would settle for that, for the time being, but it was still not enough.

'When was the chateau built?' Belle asked, trying to keep the boredom from her tone. She wanted the legend not the architecture.

'This castle was built in the 14th century, for a handsome young man and his young mistress,' Barbary began. 'You see the young woman that the man loved was not his fated mate, though she was kind and caring, and though he wanted to love her he was not able. And tragedy struck the master and his mistress. He became enraged and with his inhumane strength he committed manslaughter. He killed his mistress,' Barbary continued and Belle found herself engrossed as they entered through the gates and came across the grounds of the castle.

The grounds were just as terrifyingly beautiful as the rest of the building, with dark gargoyles watching over, appearing as though they would come to life should one even lay a finger on them. The grass was as green as her eyes and, she knelt down, just as soft as cotton. So the castle and its grounds weren't completely harsh in their appearance or texture.

'He killed his mistress?' Belle asked shocked, but excited too. She kind of wished that she could high five the handsome young man but he was long, long dead.

'Oh yes, it was as though he had been possessed by some evil beast and that is why many dub this castle that of the cursed beast. But as all lives end, the man died and many of his descendants have lived in this castle. I have been lucky to serve the latest of his descendants. A lovely man, just as kind as his ancestor was. Yet less violent,' Barbary said and Belle nodded. Something was ringing a bell with this story but she couldn't think what.

'Now, let's go inside the castle and we can show you where you will be staying for you time here,' Barbary added, and they entered the castle. Belle and Red were the only ones who had been brave enough to come to the castle. As soon as their fellow students had heard the name of the castle they had backed away in terror, their eyes lit with fear. Odd, what had they known that Belle and her best friend had yet to learn?


	5. Chapter 5

**And on entering the castle, Belle and Red were besieged by many other servants who wanted to take their bags and their coats. One young woman dressed in a black and white maid outfit, struggled under the weight of Red's suitcase, making Belle want to laugh cruelly.**

** But then she looked around and gasped. It was beautiful! Straight ahead of her there was a grand staircase; like that of which you would expect to find in the Queen of England's palace. However either side of the stairs there were black handrails, and at the bottom of the rails there were two tiny, baby-like gargoyles in black. **

** In the entrance hallway there were small tables against the wall which held candelabras, all with only three holders, on a blood red mat. And beside them were feather dusters that a maid soon came and collected and began to dust one of the candelabras. She paused as though noticing them and gave Belle a smile and a knowing wink.**

** 'Welcome to the castle young ladies,' she said and bowed low in the direction of Belle as though she were some kind of queen, or some rich lady or duchess, even though she was not. 'I hope you like your stay here and if there is anything that you need please do not hesitate to call for me. I will wait on you hand and foot.' And with that said she wandered off to go dust something else.**

** 'Okay then,' their professor said slowly, not expecting that of any of the servants. He probably wasn't even expecting there to be servants. 'I was definitely not expecting that of the people here. She spoke to the girls as though she knew them.'**

** 'Oh that would be my fault monsieur. I have mentioned the girls to the servants, making sure that they knew what their wants or needs might be during their stay here,' Barbary said.**

** 'Oh okay.'**

** As the two men spoke Belle and Red began to explore the rest of the hallway, from the blood red walls, to the golden chandeliers on the ceiling. It was the only other source of light other than the candelabras and contained candles, not light bulbs. It seemed as though the castle had not been modernised once since it was first built. Everything was still old and it seemed that the only thing that had been changed was the candles lighting the hallway.**

** 'It's so beautiful,' Belle breathed and the old man Barbary nodded his grey head.**

** 'Isn't it just, many of the visitors here don't even make it the one night, they find it so terrifying just from its outward appearance that they leave before even coming in and noticing the beautiful indoor décor,' he explained and she nodded, before noticing the paling professor.**

** 'I think I may have to leave now. The rest of my class are going to need my teachings, and what I have learned from this day, however I think it would be more beneficial for the girls if they were to stay for the rest of the time, study the castle and write an essay so that when they return so that they can give a presentation to the class,' Monsieur Joulton said before he raced for the open doorway, leaving his students far behind.**

** 'Well he at least made it in to see the great hallway,' Barbary commented making the girls laugh with humour. Belle herself was becoming quite attached to the gentle old man and thought that they would soon become great friends. 'Now let's continue into the castle, onto the kitchen next perhaps. Are any of you girls hungry?' He finished to which they smothered their laughter and nodded. They hadn't eaten since early that day and it was now very almost tea time.**

** 'Famished,' they replied as one and followed the man towards the far end of the hallway where there was another corridor leading to the right.**

** 'Here in the kitchen we have Madame Pottes, head of the kitchen. She is our most esteemed cook and therefore our chef. Her daughter Mademoiselle Pottes, first name Francine will be helping her,' Barbary said motioning towards the curvaceous, pepper haired older woman and the younger thinner blonde haired woman. **

** 'Happy to be of service,' the mother and daughter spoke as one, before coming to shaking the girls hands. And when Francine took Belle's hand she pulled her in close and whispered in her ear.**

** 'You have come at last.'**

** 'Excuse me?' Belle asked wondering if she had heard correctly.**

** 'Would you like something to eat?' She asked and Belle had realised that she had heard only what she had wanted to hear.**

** 'Oh yes please,' she said looking around for a place to sit but not finding one in the kitchen.**

** 'Oh do come through here my little chickens,' Madame Pottes ushered them into another room away from the kitchen. This room was filled with a dining table made of dark wood that reached the length of the darkened room. 'Take a seat and we will be through with your dinner in a moment.' Then she left and Belle turned to Red who was smiling widely and whose eyes were alight with excitement.**

** 'I love this place,' Belle commented and Red nodded.**

** 'It's different to the other castles that we have visited, and the servants here are so kind.'**

** 'Yes and that is very weird. I have never been to a castle as old as this and one without a master. I wonder if we will meet him whilst we are here, but in the meantime I cannot wait to see more of the castle.'**

** 'I hope you have a hearty appetite,' Madame Pottes sang through the open doorway that led to the kitchen as she entered, Francine behind her, carrying plates of different vegetables. 'Oh I do apologise for the amount we made for you, but you see it is what we have always been used to. The master had always loved his food.'**

** 'Never meant he put any weight on though, must have had something to do with all the working out he did. He was very handsome once upon a time,' Francine added and Belle's heart stopped when she heard the last four words.**

** 'Once upon a time, why you make him sound like some handsome prince for a fairy tale,' Belle voiced.**

** 'Who says he isn't?' Francine asked silencing the two girls as they moved to take their vegetables.**


	6. Chapter 6

'Who says he isn't?' Belle mulled the words over quietly as she tucked into her home made meal. She hadn't had a meal prepared by a mother since her own was still alive, unfeeling bitch. But for what it was worth it was nice to have such a meal, even if it was perhaps a little larger than what she was used to.

'Huh, Belle?' Red asked beside her, to which Belle only shook her head.

'Nothing, I was just thinking out loud,' she replied as she took a bite of mashed potato and almost moaned. Oh that was good, even better than the mashed potato Red's grandmother made when they were invited to her house on the weekends.

And just as they were finishing their meal the maid from the hallway, who had told them they could call on her for anything, entered the dining room with her hands full of towels and called out to the girls.

'I hope you have finished with your meals and would like to see your sleeping quarters for your time here. By the way my name is Amandine, so just call for me whenever you need something,' the maid said and the two friends nodded as they pushed away their plates and stood, two girls couldn't be more stuffed than what they were. And Belle wondered how one man could possibly have such a hearty appetite to eat more than what the two girls had.

'Oh I could really go for a bath,' Red commented with a sigh as she stretched her back, seemingly trying to undo the knots found there.

'Of course,' Amandine said and handed her a towel before she lead them past the kitchen and into the main hallway where she asked them to remove their shoes and then lead them up the grand staircase of which the carpet felt like soft clouds beneath their feet and then lead them up the right set of steps after that.

'What is on the other side of the castle?' Belle asked curiously, eyeing up the left set of stairs that Amandine had bypassed without so much as an explanation about where they lead to.

'That is the west wing, it is out of bounds to guests as it is the master's own quarters and he would prefer them to be kept as he left them, untouched by human hands,' Amandine explained but there was something about the way that she looked at Belle after she spoke of it that said: you just dare.

'Oh,' Belle commented and let it be, trying to ignore the call from that other side of the castle she placed her hand in her large pocket and grasped her black book, drawing strength from it.

'Now, Red you may bathe here in this bathroom, just knock when you are finished,' Amandine said as she showed Red into another room that was adorned with more wealth than Belle had ever known. The bath was made of white pot, and the claw feet of it were made from gold, this was a beautiful bathroom that couldn't be more beautiful than if Belle had chosen the blood red scheme herself.

'Could you show me my room?' Belle asked and the maid nodded as she lead her down the corridor and up another set of stairs.

'Your room is in the west tower,' Amandine whispered to her and Belle's brow crinkled.

'But you said we were not allowed to set foot in the west part of the castle,' Belle said and the maid nodded.

'True, but I said wing. I said nothing about the tower,' she explained and lead Belle up a winding staircase, a very tall winding staircase.

Yet when they reached the very top of the staircase and she was shown to her room, Isabelle could not help but sigh with longing at the state of the room. In the very centre there was a four poster bed made of oak that had been painted black, and which had blood red blankets for covers. Behind it there was a window that she could use to look down and see the garden below. On the left wall of the tower there was a bookshelf with many other books on that she had not bought herself, as well as the one that she had. And on the other side opposite that was a wardrobe and a vanity table.

'I hope you find the tower to your liking Miss. Belle,' Amandine commented and Belle nodded enthusiastically. She loved it!

'It's amazing,' she said running to gather her fairy tales book and lay down upon what looked to be the most comfortable bed in creation.

'Ah fairy tales. Perhaps you'd want to read some of those stories a little closer, for they may help you in time to come,' the maid commented cryptically before leaving the room and going wherever else it was that she was needed.

When Amandine left she rushed over to her wardrobe to see if her clothes had been packed away there for her trip. They weren't.

And just as disappointment began to wash over her for not having her own clothes there, she noticed that there were clothes that were by far more beautiful than what she had owned. These clothes were befitting a princess, albeit a princess of the dark magiks, gowns of beautiful black and deep reds.

'I think I may be in heaven,' Belle announced spinning around with her arms out around her in the room fit for any dark witch.

Yet when she raced to try on some of the nightgowns she came across a letter pinned to one. It was neatly written and read:

To my mate, yes you must be her, for they would not have permitted you in this room were you not the one I seek, take these clothes as a gift from me. It is one of many gifts that I will give you. And although you will never meet me in truth, know that my servants and father will treat you as though you were their master by marriage. The reasons behind my disappearance can never be known.

The master

It was an odd letter, why did they think she was this master's mate, they hadn't seen her mark and they weren't magical. Were they? Perhaps he had a seer, and she had predicted her arrival on the cards. No, it was laughable. Even though magik did exist Belle knew that none here possessed it. She would have felt it. That was a talent that her mother had gifted her with through birth.


	7. Chapter 7

Later that night Belle was trying to sleep when there came a knock at her door. Expecting it to be Red, she made her way over to open it and invite her friend in. However there was something odd about the being behind the door, Belle sensed, for they used magik.

'Hello?' Belle asked, answering the door to find a woman she had never seen before in her life but who she felt had a familiar aura to her. The dark haired, but pale woman was more beautiful than anyone Belle had ever seen. And one of the more magical ones.

'As I live and breathe, Isabelle,' the witch sighed and Belle's eyes narrowed at the woman's words.

'How do you know my name?' She asked suspiciously, barring the witch entry to her room.

'I know everything about you. I know that you are full of magik and will need these,' the unknown witch motioned to the backpack she carried. 'If you'd only let me in I could show you the magical instruments I carry.'

Magical instruments, did the witch mean things like a book of shadows, a tarot card deck and runes? Belle wondered and without thinking of the dangers that she would soon be committing she welcomed the woman into her room and showed her to the chair at the vanity table.

'Show me what you have bought with you woman,' Belle demanded and the woman nodded as she pulled out the contents of her bag and placed the items on the table. There she had a set of blood red cards, black onyx runes and a book identical to the one that Belle had in the drawer on that vanity table. 'Where did you get that book?' she demanded, feeling more drawn to this one than the one she herself had bought.

'This book was my daughter's, she was always so drawn to it and used to write all of her spells within. Some are very dark spells, curses and others are blessings. All the spells you will ever need or want to know are found within the pages of this book Belle,' the witch announced and handed Belle the blood red pack of tarot cards.

And as Belle flicked through them she found that she was even more drawn to these cards than she was the book. That and the cards themselves, the major arcana and the cups, the swords, the wands and the pentagrams were all depicting a witch of some sort. They were made for her, she felt, even though they seemed to age as far back as the castle itself. How could she be drawn to cards that were older than she? Weren't cards made specifically for a witch in her own lifetime?

'I see you have taken a liking to the cards Belle,' the witch announced to which Isabelle nodded. Yes she had. 'They too were my daughters, everything you see her was my daughter's before she died, and now I am passing them on to you, for you are the only one who can wield the magik she could from these instruments,' the witch said, making Belle smile.

'These runes, they are so beautiful,' Belle voiced, reaching out to take one in her hand. It looked like the letter H. 'But how am I supposed to read the language of the gods?'

'Do not worry. If you are who I believe you to be, you will not have any kind of trouble deciphering the runes, for the knowledge already lies within you, you just have to utilise it.'

'May, may I have these?' Belle asked, reaching out a hand to the book of shadows, eagerly.

'Of course my dear, consider them a gift from one who is not quite a stranger to you,' the witch replied, and when Belle looked up once again, the witch was gone and the instruments left behind.

Without wasting another moment Belle collected the cards and began to shuffle them, asking them a question about the castle. She knew that tarot cards could not be used to predict one's own future or ask a question of one's own, but it could ask something not of them that they would like to know.

When she pulled the three card draw for past, present and future, she received an alarming first spread that had nothing to do with the castle, or that she believed anyway. Belle pulled a card meaning betrayal for the past, the lovers for the present, and the two of cups for the future. The cards were telling her that somebody had been betrayed and that now in the present the one betrayed was going to find their true love and they would be married.

When she read the runes, she discovered that the witch was right. She could read them. And they too coincided with the cards' reading.

'Okay,' Belle spoke slowly, wondering how this was possible, did she really have all that much magik inside of her that this could happen? Had she finally found it?

Finding herself calmed by shuffling the cards she returned to doing that to appease herself from the odd feelings within her. And as she did so she found the energy she had held when the witch was here dwindling. The cards were taking energy from her instead of giving it to her.

And as she shuffled two cards fell out. First it was a witch casting a magik circle, for the past and for the present, a full moon. The witching hour was midnight; the most magical phase was the full moon. What were her cards trying to tell her, what did they want her to do? She didn't know and so put them aside to pick up the scrying crystal the witch had given her along with everything else.

'What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?' she asked the crystal wistful of an answer, and as she did it began to cool within her hands and before she had the chance to hold onto it tighter it flew from her hands and scurried under the rug in the middle of the floor.

When she pushed the rug aside she found a trap door, opening the trap door she found a dark room, which looked a perfect space for her to begin learning her magik, it was secluded and nobody else knew of it. She could remain there until dawn and no one would know that she was gone.

Snatching the scrying crystal she returned to the vanity table and took out the book of shadows identical to her own. And the first spell she found in there was a protection spell, and the last one she found was one she was very curious about, it seemed to be one to summon one's mate to her, and even though she had never been one for summoning mates or even wanting anything to do with them she decided that she would do it.

'Now let's see what do I need, runes, five candles, one to represent each element and chalk to draw the magik circle.' The magik circle itself was depicted beneath the spell and the items needed.

Drawing up the courage to ask Amandine for the candles and chalk she noted that the time was getting on to being half past ten, if she didn't ask for the items soon she would miss the chance to do the spell at its most potent time. Midnight.

'Yes?' Amandine asked when she rang the bell and the maid arrived.

'Could you bring me some things, a green candle, a blue candle, an orange candle, a white candle and a black candle and a piece of red chalk?' Belle asked to which the maid nodded, without so much as even lifting a brow in question. Good.

When the maid returned Belle gathered all of the things she needed and made her way down into the room through the trap door, a candelabra lighting her way…


	8. Chapter 8

And when she entered the room she set up everything that she needed, first drawing her magik circle, of which she took instruction from the book of shadows. After that she placed the different element candles in the order they were shown on the magik circle, with the spirit candle, at the top of the pentagram within the magik circle. Well the top that was to her when she seated herself in the middle of the circle.

Next, before she could start her spell she needed to place the runes in the magik circle too. Thankfully when that was finished she could start the spell.

Brushing her midnight black hair behind her ears and picked up her book of shadows and began to read the spell that was in the book aloud. It was her first spell and she wondered how it would work out, what would happen because of it. What was the spell for? After all it did have odd words that didn't seem to fit with the calling for the mate.

'Beast trapped within the other plane

Come back to the chateau again

Find here your mate

And seal your fate.'

She lit the candle representing Earth before repeating the spell four more times whilst lighting the candles.

'Find here your mate

And seal your fate.'

These two lines she repeated, blowing out the five candles all at once. However nothing happened, had she done the spell wrong? Belle wondered to herself if she had done the spell wrong, or if perhaps, maybe she was…was not as magical as she'd thought she was. Or as magical as the witch had thought she was.

'I'll just go find Red and perhaps I will wake-up from this nightmare,' Belle decided and turned to look up at the trap door when there came a smell of smoke. Odd, though she could have sworn that she had blown out all of the candles. Yet when she turned she saw that the spirit candle was now alight once more, but it was glowing blue! Odd indeed!

Even odder was the fact that the birthmark over her right breast was burning and itching. It was really starting to hurt. Covering the mark she remained where she was and awaited the male that was coming. Was the spell accurate when it asked for a beast? Wasn't something like that only supposed to be in Grimm's fairy tales? She couldn't be the mate of a beast.

In the scant distanced between her and what looked to be another door there came a fearsome growl, so fierce that it made her jump in shock.

'Hello who is there?' Belle asked, grabbing the spirit candle, the only light in the otherwise pitch black room and made her way over to where the growl came from.

'Don't come near me!' The shadows barked out in order and she chuckled beneath her breath. She did not take orders from anybody. Of which she made sure in informing him of.

'I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't take orders.' Belle edged closer to his location deep in the darkest shadow, but she was cared not she loved the dark. Worshipping Hecate herself had provided her courage in the dark by said goddess. The dark itself strengthened her in everything that she did.

'Well you'd be careful to heed mine. I am far too dangerous for any mortal. I could render you in half with but one of my…paws,' the shadows barked back and she realised that it was indeed a creature that she was conversing with, but for it to be a beast?

'Are…are you my mate?' Belle stuttered out as she edged so close to the creature that she could see the brown of its eyes.

'You! You are the one who has bought me here?' she nodded. 'After it took so long for me to tear myself away from this dimension, this plane for everyone's safety. Do you have any idea how long and how hard I had to study the magik to get there in the first place? And I had sworn never to get involved in magik again, but here I find myself summoned by a mortal…girl claiming to be my mate, when I have lived over hundreds of years and more lifetimes than I would have preferred. I don't deserve to be alive. I don't deserve this grotesque appearance. I never wronged anyone when I was in my human form,' the being spoke and Belle edged closer, gasped.

He was a beast! With claws made for ripping through meat and fangs that looked like they could tear your head from your neck with a single bite. He had ears that spiked so harshly he could have been an elf. He was covered in fur, and scars. And yet she was not scared by what she saw, he was of the darkness just as she was. She could relate. They'd both been dealt a harsh hand by fate. And she would help him, they would help one another.

'What are you staring at?' The beast growled, bearing its fangs but Belle was not deterred. She examined those lips more closely, saw that they were as soft as petals and longed to kiss them. It had nothing to do with the excruciating pain in her breast or the fact that she would wish to sleep soon. No the dark woman found herself attracted to what was supposed to be, or would be, considered by society, a grotesque monster.

'You...you're...' she trailed off when he blew the candle from her hand.

'Not another word woman,' he growled a warning and then came darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, once Belle had returned to her room, Red was there, waiting outside of her room.

'How did you sleep?' she asked, and it was clear from the dark circles under the red heads eyes that she hadn't slept very well herself. Had she heard the beast, or had she merely been scared about the old castle?

'Not so good,' Belle replied, wiping her eyes and yawning. She was starting to wish that she had never met the old witch, and had never found that trap door under her floorboards. Why had she found that door? She wondered now. Did it have something to do with the witch's appearance after all? If so, did the witch want her to find her true love, her mate, as it was called?

'You don't look so good; did you sleep at all last night?' Red asked and Belle shook her head, wincing when her birth mark began to hurt again. 'You went exploring last night didn't you?' she accused of her.

'Yes, but only because I found a trap door under my floorboards,' Belle explained and Red nodded, but then came a look of utter excitement across her face.

'Let's go then!' Red exclaimed and tried to get into Belle's tower but she pushed her back.

'No, Red it's too dangerous. Way too dangerous. You don't know what's down there like I do. Even I am afraid of it,' Belle admitted to being afraid, but it was only because of the fact that the thing down there was her fated mate. A mate that the cruel Kind of gods would want her to fall in love with. Belle did not do love, she did black magik.

'But Belle you are not afraid of anything,' Red said shocked and Belle nodded.

'Yes, Red I am afraid of something, just like everyone else in this world. I fear my mate,' and not because he was a beast. No he was somebody that she could relate to. She would be friends with him, if he wasn't destined to be her mate, and if being around him would put her in so much agony and sleeplessness that she could not function was not something she would find fun.

'You've found him!' Red asked excitedly, and then when she saw Belle's face she frowned. 'Where is he?'

'He's below the floorboards in the west wing; he is the reason we are not allowed there. Red I think I summoned him,' Belle began and made to explain everything that had happened last night from the witch, to discovering that she was full of magik herself.

'Let's go then. Introduce me,' Red begged and Belle shook her head, trying to come up with an excuse. However she'd barely begun to think when there came a loud commotion from the lower floors. There was smashing of plates, clatter of pans and male and female shouts alike.

'What's going on down there?' Red and Belle asked as one and turned to the door behind them.

'Girls what is going on up here?' Amandine asked as she made her way up the stairs to the tower, breakfast in hand for Belle. 'Red what are you doing up here? I thought you were at your room so I bought you your breakfast there.'

'I don't know, I came to see how Belle had slept and then we heard some people panicking downstairs. Amandine do you know what is going on down there?' Red asked and Amandine nodded as she entered the room and placed the breakfast on the bed, before ushering the girls inside and closing the door behind them.

'Girls, I am afraid that the master has returned, earlier than we had expected,' the maid said and turned to Belle. 'How are you feeling this morning Mademoiselle? You look as though you haven't slept a wink.' Did Amandine know what she had done with those candles she had ordered? Did she know about the beast she had summoned from another plane? Was the beast even perhaps the master? Could that be the secret behind the castle?

'So can we leave?' A hopeful Red asked, and Amandine nodded.

'Of course you may leave Red, in fact I would advise you to leave. The master is not one to be meddled with. His mate is here in this castle, and you would not want to step between him and her,' Amandine said and Red nodded.

'Come on then Belle let's pack out bags for the college again,' Red said and both Belle and Amandine shook their heads violently.

'She cannot leave, the master will follow her and that would not be good on any part of the country,' Amandine explained and when Red looked towards Belle, the raven haired friend went on to explain herself.

'Red if I left, I would be without link to the other half of my soul, and that would mean that I would constantly be in agony and suffer from eternal insomnia. Red I could die,' Belle warned her, as she played with the end of her raven coloured hair.

'So you have to stay and I have to go?' Red asked and Belle nodded.

'Why don't you go stay at your grandmother's house for a while?' Belle suggested and Red nodded.

'Grandmother would like to see me for a while. Amandine would the kitchen staff mind if I made my grandmother some cookies before I leave?' Red asked and Amandine nodded.

'Of course, anything you would like. I'm sure the master could stand you doing such a small thing before you leave,' Amandine said and when Red left the room, to grab her red hood possibly and head down to the kitchen. 'Belle, as the master's mate I must as a big task of you,' Amandine added.

'What would you like me to do?' Belle asked hesitantly, wondering if she could do the task, and what it would mean for the castle, the country or even the whole world.

'Belle, the master is going insane downstairs, he has met you. He is in pain and he cannot sleep, he needs you to be there for him. The lives of many of the servants here lay in your hand. Even the master's father is not safe here, he can scent you and he wants you there with him.'

'Downstairs where?' Belle asked and a gasp sounded from Amandine as a scream sounded from far below.


	10. Chapter 10

When Amandine and Belle reached the source of the scream, they found themselves in the kitchen watching a great hulking beast, sniffing at Red. That being was the master himself, and the ache in Belle's mark grew in intensity and she winced even as she tried to hide that same knowledge from him. However it seemed he was so absorbed in his own rage that he didn't seem to be feeling the effects of the mating symptoms.

'Where is she?!' The beast demand of Red who looked as though she was half frightened to death. Wait was that an actual strand of white hair, on her side fringe? Holy hell! Red was in a lot of danger right now. 'Where is she? I know you know; I can smell her on you. Hand her over!' The beast was raging and Belle stepped forward and gingerly placed a hand upon her mate. And where they touched, fur to skin there seemed to pass an electrical charge and, despite the appearance of her mate, she felt herself reacting to the touch.

'I am here, please be calm. You are scaring my friend to death,' Belle spoke calmly to the beast and when he turned from Red to look at Belle her friend collapsed, fainting on the kitchen floor.

'I apologise for that mate,' the beast growled and when he looked at her she saw that there was something almost human-like about his eyes, emerald like the colour of her own. And yet she found herself more drawn to his eyes than she had ever anyone else's.

'My name is Isabelle. But you may call me Belle, if you'd rather,' Belle introduced of herself and then turned to him. 'What may I call you?' she asked, curiously.

'You may call me nothing. I am not worthy of the name that I once had,' the beast growled and she could feel a sudden rage growing within her.

'So I should just call you Beast, is that what you want me to call you? Is that what you wish to be known as? Surely you would want another name, any name than name that instils fear into everyone that hears it?' Belle yelled angrily.

'No!' The beast replied and Belle got so angry that she raised her hand, making her mate back away. Scared?

'No magik from you witch,' he yelled and she gasped. He thought her a real witch?

'Amandine?' Belle said turning to the maid. 'I don't think I can stay here. I cannot tolerate him one bit. I think I would rather die than be mate to this Beast,' Belle informed the maid who nodded.

'I shall retrieve your bags mistress,' she said and made her way upstairs.

The beast roared at this, and made to follow after her. To punish her? To harm her? Belle did not know and yet she did not want the maid to die for following out her orders.

'Don't you dare Beast. You are the reason I am leaving, you and your anger issues, not Amandine.' She informed him and he scowled at that.

'I can change,' he informed her and she shook her head. No. He couldn't and neither could she. That was the problem, which was the reason why their relationship would not work.

'Once my friend wakes up I am going home, I will only stay for the time it takes her to wake up. And if you want to please me, you would be smart to go back to your wing and stay there. That way you can never risk scaring anybody to death.'

'I was in a whole other realm, a whole different plane. I am not here through choice. You summoned me witch.'

'If you managed once before then surely you'll manage a second time to take yourself back to that realm won't you?' Belle suggested angrily and the beast frowned.

'I will leave the servants be, but you must stay Belle, we will both die without you here. I cannot go where you do. I would be considered a freak in this day and age,' the beast reminded her and she shrugged.

'Like I already said: Death is a more pleasing sight,' Belle spoke out of turn, out of her own anger building inside of her. Deep inside of her she did consider him a beautiful sight, more beautiful than anything she had ever seen, though it was his anger, his rage that she could not tolerate. A man with claws like that could render a woman in half just by touching her, never mind what would happen if she angered him.

'Then I will leave, I ought to be dead, and like you, I have reasons for welcoming it too,' the beast growled, leaping from the kitchen and returning to the place she had summoned him. Hopefully!

Belle's walk from the castle to the nearest town took her through forests filled with snow and ice. She was freezing, still in her pyjamas, but she didn't care. She just couldn't stand to be in his company a moment later. What rotten luck she'd had in her life! First her parents had both died, and then now she had a beast for a mate, a beast with anger management problems.

'Who did he think he was, threatening Red like that? He scared her half to death. People just shouldn't be able to do that,' Belle muttered and then thought about what she had said. 'Now look at me speaking as though he's a human being, when he clearly is not.' She was crazy sometimes.

And as she walked through the forest, her toes threatening to fall off, she was aware of something following her. The beast perhaps coming to apologise? Nope, no such luck. He was a beast after all, what care did he have for her emotions. So a wolf or a bear then? Bears? Wolves? They could tear her to pieces just as easily as he could, but she cared not.

And as howls rented the air she gulped, suddenly afraid. She had been carelessly hasty when she had said that she would rather die, but right now when it faced her so bold in the face she realised that she had no will to join her parents where they were in heaven or hell. She'd had to have inherited her skills from magik from somewhere.

As another wolf joined in the symphony she willed her frost bitten feet to run, to escape from certain death.

And as she half ran, half stumbled through the snow she could hear their light feet clomping in the snow as though it was second nature to them. Perhaps it was, if this is where they had built their home.

'Faster, run faster,' Belle told herself, but it was no use the snow was just too thick and the wolves too light on their feet.

And when she reached a bridge she smiled, yes she was going to make it, and she crossed it carefully. Slowly. For it seemed to be old and, thanks to the snow, rotting. Alas the wolves followed her over there too, and in her panic she placed a wrong foot and fell down through the bridge and onto the iced over lake beneath it.

Yet when she stood to get her grounding the ice beneath her began to crack.

'No!' Belle shrieked, wondering if she had any magik she could use to save herself. She didn't. And so down she fell. An icy death awaiting her at the bottom of the lake.


	11. Chapter 11

As he watched her walk out of the castle doors and consequentially his entire life, the beast roared in denial, before he began ripping out the fur that lined his entire body. Then he howled like some other species like the fabled werewolf that tended to howl at the moon when it came along. He wished that he had been turned into a werewolf by that little witch millennia ago, but he was not lucky. Yes he had been the luckiest of men once upon a time, but now, now he was cursed to suffer the existence of a beast, not just once or three times a month at every full moon. No he was cursed to be a beast, twenty four hours and seven days a week. There was no way out of this curse. No, the witch had made sure of that. She had informed him that only those of her lineage, with magik as strong as hers would be able to break the curse she had placed upon him. And yet he was soon to meet one of her kin.

'I thought I had found someone, a girl that could break this cursed existence,' the beast growled as he headed back to the wing, following her orders. Maybe if he did so she would be more likely to accept him as hers. He had been acquiescent once before, maybe he could be again. This time he would have to be the one to take the orders as she clearly was not one to take such orders. She carried herself as though she was of nobility, or even wealth, yet there was also sadness in her heart. He could feel it because he too shared that emotion. Not of his own grief, but of hers. Somebody very close to her had died. And it was probably the reason she had been so calm with him when he'd scared the red head. She was familiar with death, just as he was.

'But I bet she never killed her beloved with her own hands as I did,' the beast spoke mournfully, and when a cold chill came over him he began to panic for his mate. It was not a chill of fear, but a chill of ice, as though his mate had passed out in the snow on the way to leaving his castle. And as he made his way to the front door, ignoring her orders, ignoring his father's call to come back, he felt his breath catching as though he was standing beneath a freezing cold shower. This could only mean one thing.

'Isabelle!' The beast howled, crashing through the front doors, running on all fours like the beast he was, he followed her scent, the pain in his breast. He did not care if anyone saw him like this, if any of the humans branded him a freak and decided to capture and experiment on him. He only cared for Belle's safety. The way he had once cared for his beloved wife's, yet she had never been meant for him, and this curse was clearly part of the god kind Fate's plan to show to him and all other men what would happen if they chose the wrong woman. The woman not meant for them.

As he neared her, the pain incredible, he noticed tracks in the snow, hers and smaller ones. These were wolf marks. Had the strong warrior woman ran from the wolves? Had she been scared of them, when she had never been scared of him?

No she had never been scared of him, not even when she had summoned him from that other plane and looked upon his beastly image. No, she had seemed in some part, remotely interested in him. Perhaps it had been his overactive imagination, and perhaps it had been the mating call, but either way the sadness in her eyes had been conveyed to desire. If only for a moment. He knew that he could clear the sadness from her entirely, and he wanted a shot.

When he came across the old bridge, he spotted the broken plank and the crack in the ice, he realised that Belle had hastily run from the wolves and fallen…into the icy river.

'Belle,' the beast cried racing forward, but no sooner had he than two or three wolves began to attack him, biting at his arms and his legs, blocking his chance of rescuing her. Was this to be part of Fate's cruel, twisted curse too? Would he die, having lost his mate to an icy death?

'No!' He howled and flung the wolves in all kinds of directions, wanting them off of him so he could see to Belle. She was the one woman to see him for something more than a beast. She had looked into his eyes and seen the human man beneath the cursed beastly form. He would not lose her. He had no care for his own life, but he would not lose the woman that could be the only woman to ever love him.

'Belle,' he called out again and when he saw the bubbles forming at the top of the crack in the ice he growled and flung himself in after her.

And as broken ice shards followed him he only swam faster, ignoring the icy breaths that he could barely take in this frozen place. Thankfully, for her he had always lived in an icy plane, in fact the one he'd sent himself to had been a place, far colder than this. For nothing else could have survived there. Nothing but a beast that was cursed to forever remain grotesque and forever live.

When he spotted Belle lying motionless at the bottom of the lake, a bluish tinge having taken over her body he swam as fast as he ever had before to scoop her up and hold her in her arms. And as he swam back to the surface, he noted one of two things. Holding her in his arms felt more right than ever being human had. It felt as though he belonged there, and she belonged in his arms. They belonged together. Is that what Fate had done? Figured out two mates that belonged together and put them together like this? Did it really have to take a tragedy like this for him to have figured it out?

The other thing he noticed at the top of the surface was the fact that the hole Belle had made had frozen over again.

'No!' he tried to howl, but all that came out was bubbles, only one set of bubbles. His.


	12. Chapter 12

_As Belle entered the grounds behind the castle she found that it was covered in roses, hundreds and thousands of beautiful roses, in all kinds of colours. They ranged from emerald green, the colour of her eyes, to midnight black. It was beautiful. Something she had never told anyone else before, something she had always kept secret was the fact that she absolutely adored roses. Her favourite colour of the roses was the blood red ones, they reminded her of death, but they also reminded her of love. _

_ As she journeyed over to the roses, the blood red ones, she was reminded of how she had always avoided any kind of love. For everything that she loved seemed to leave her. There were her parents, mum and dad. They were the best parents any girl could ever wish for. Yes they might have spoilt her rotten as the only child that she was, but they were always there when she needed them, with hugs and kisses and medicines when she was ill. Which had always happened, and it seemed frequently too. For she always came down with a chill or two._

_ But the deaths of Belle's parents had opened her eyes to the cruel and harsh reality of the world. Everything you loved would die. As a young girl she had always fantasised about her true love, had always loved hearing her parents' stories of how they met and how they knew they were just right for each other. She loved their reassurances that her own true love would just be as wonderful as she was. And she had believed them. She had always held on to that belief. But she was scared to meet that mate, for they spoke of her as a child when they said that she was wonderful. Now, now she was damaged._

_ 'But my mate is a beast, they were right when they said he would be just like me,' Belle murmured to herself as she sat beside the blood red roses and picked one so that she could smell the sweet, sweet fragrance permeating from it. 'And when will he come to see me again?' she asked. Yes Belle found her mate dangerous at times, but she also found him sweet and understanding. And on the plus side he was very ravishing._

_ 'Belle?' A male voice rang out from behind her. A familiar male voice, one that she had heard before, but of which she could not place exactly. 'Oh Belle it is you,' the man said and when she turned she saw one of the most beautiful human men that she had ever laid her eyes on. With that chocolate brown hair, and that beautiful olive complexion, he could have been Spanish, and then those lips! So pink they had to be made from crushed peonies, and under the clothing her wore she could tell that he was broad and as muscular as her father had been when he had been alive._

_ Yet she did not know him. Who was this odd male that had turned up in the Beast's castle, in this garden that she considered her own? How dare he trespass on a land that did not belong to him? She would tell the Beast immediately and have him escorted from the premises. He did not belong here. Not like she did. He had no right to be here!_

_ And at the stern look on her face the male spoke once more, in a confused manner this time._

_ 'Belle, do you not recognise me?' the male asked and she shook her head. How could she recognise someone that she had never met before?_

_ 'No, now please get off this land before I am obliged to go and fetch the master to escort you off this land by himself. And I for one would rather avoid bloodshed if at all possible,' Belle informed him and when he opened his mouth to speak, for what to say she did not know for she soon became deaf. No matter how hard she strained herself to hear the words he surely kept repeating, she just couldn't. And a part of her knew that those words were very important indeed. But she could not judge the truth or importance without actually hearing them. Were they the reason he was here? She could not say._

_ Whoever he was, she would find out one way or another._


	13. Chapter 13

When Beast had rescued Belle from a fate far worse than death, or in her opinion the fact that they were mated, he had carried her home, worrying for her all the way. Her skin had been as cold as ice and had been paler than usual, taking on a blue tinge. And the little breath she had breathed, seemed to fog out. And as he'd held her closer, wanting to warm her cold body with his warm fur, he had noted that her heart had beat so weakly he was surprised that she had not gone into shock already.

And although he was bleeding from his wounds, made by the wolves he felt not the pain, the only pain that he had was in his sore heart. He had the sense that he was losing Belle and it hurt more than it had when he'd thought she was gonna be forever out of his life. He couldn't think of any other explanation for her passing out, and him not. He guessed it was because of the curse, the form he had taken on, which he realised now was actually turning out to be a blessing.

Now she laid there in his tower, which was now formally hers, and perhaps one day theirs and she looked like the fairy tale princess, Snow White, that he had been reading to her, over the last two days since she'd fallen into what could be described as similar to a coma. And just like in Snow White, he wondered if a kiss from a handsome prince would be enough to wake her. Unfortunately he was no longer the handsome being that he once was, and so she would have to do with him.

'I apologise for intruding on your personal space Belle, but I am out of my wits. I have no idea what else to do, and I don't want you to leave me. I'll be better to you, I'll show you things you'd love to see, things about this castle I've never shown any other person, I'll give you it all,' Beast vowed as he lowered himself beside her and gently pressed his lips to hers. They were the only part of him, other than his eyes that remained from that fateful day.

And as soon as their lips touched, Beast knew that she was for him. The texture of her soft, soft blood red lips was enough to drive any man wild and he was glad that he was that man. Also the electricity that seemed to pass between them was like an added part of the fated connection between the two mates.

'Beast?' Belle asked confused when she awoke from that slumber, and he almost laughed. Thank god! That and the fact that she was incredibly adorable when she gave him that confused look. She wanted to seem all Goth, that kind of 'nothing can hurt me' stereotype, but he knew her better than she knew even herself.

'Yes Belle, I apologise for kissing you without your permission,' he said, got up from the bed and was beginning to turn away when she grabbed his arm, stopping him.

'You're hurt,' she stated, and before he could even stop her she was calling for the maid and asking for hot water and bandages. And as they waited she spoke some more. 'Beast, I...thank you,' she managed in the end.

'Thank you?' he asked confused. Why was she thanking him? Why wasn't she railing at him for the intrusion of her privacy?

'You saved my life, and now I have no more pain because of your kiss,' Belle informed him and he smiled. If she was glad, then he would be glad too. This he informed of her and sat back down on the bed when she ordered him too. When she went to the door the second time, it was to collect the hot water and bandages from one of the maids.

'Belle, you are my mate. I want you to have everything you ever wanted. This castle has many wonders. Many of which I think would interest you very much indeed. Come let me show you,' Beast said as he tried to get to his feet, but she pushed him back until he was lying down on his back on the bed.

'Later, your wounds are deep, I feel them and I need to heal you,' Belle said and at that he grew uncomfortable.

'You're not going to use any magic on me are you?' He asked and she shook her head, and as she tended to his thigh wound and winced he could see the disappointment in her expression. Why? 'What's wrong Belle?' He asked, not wanting her to feel such a negative emotion. He would give her everything she needed. She would never be disappointed again, he would make sure of it.

'I can't use magic, I'm not a witch Beast,' Belle informed him and it was his turn to be confused, as he felt his brow crinkle. What was she talking about? Of course she was a witch! She'd summoned him from the other plane when no other person could have done! And he sensed in her a great deal of magic. She was almost as strong as the witch that had placed the curse on him in the first place.

'Of course you are Belle, you bought me back from the plane I was in, you are one of the most magical beings I have ever come across. I believe you could do anything if you put your mind to it,' Beast spoke encouragingly and she smiled as she tended to the wound on his chest.

'You really think so?' She asked nervously and he smiled at that, she was so beautiful when she was like this, it actually hurt his chest to breathe.

'I know so,' Beast replied, reaching out a hand to stroke her face tenderly.

'And you don't mind if I am a witch?' She asked and he shook his head. There was one time when he would have cared, would have feared her, but he had feared the chance of her death more. He wanted her there with him, no matter who or what she was. After all who was he to judge?

'No, I care more for you for that to bother me.'

'But it did once, right?'

'That was before you nearly drowned and froze to death Belle,' Beast said and when she tended to the last of his wounds she did the most unexpected thing and threw herself on his chest. And began to cry!

'I am so sorry,' she apologised as she began to sob and Beast could see that she wasn't just letting her fears and grief about their relationship, she was crying for everything she had ever lost. Her beloved ones.

'Please do not cry Belle, it hurts my chest,' Beast informed of her, and she only looked up, tears in her eyes and snot pouring from her nose. She looked so vulnerable that he took her in his arms, and very very carefully held her to his chest.

'But I feel so sad all of a sudden,' Belle said and Beast nodded at that.

'I know I can feel it. Now please let me show you a wonder of this castle, that will make you feel so much happier,' Beast said and smiled knowingly. He may have only known her a day or two, but he knew her well enough to know that she would love the room he was going to show her next...


	14. The Library

'Close your eyes Belle,' Beast asked of her and she turned to him with confusion and distrust in her eyes. Yes he had saved her life, but she couldn't trust him not to lose his temper and attack her. Closing her eyes would leave her completely vulnerable. 'Close your eyes or I will put my hands over them,' he threatened, not knowing how much that secret part of Belle wanted his hands on her, even if in such an innocent gesture.

'Fine, put your hands over them,' she mocked and when she felt warm furred hands close over the top of her face, her body reacted so violently, she felt she would implode from just such a touch, behind her she could hear him growling and wondered if he felt the same way that she just had.

'Okay, now open them,' Beast replied a moment later, and when he removed his hands from her face she was disappointed until she saw what he had taken her to.

Before her there was a room filled to the rafters with books, there were shelves everywhere. One very large shelf filled the side of the room she was staring at. Yet it was not straight, it seemed to curve outwards in the middle and then straight again towards the other end. It reached the top of the room and there were even ladders that she would have to climb to get to some of the higher up books.

That was not the only shelf in the room, but it was the most impressive. The other three sides of the large room were filled with large book shelves but they were only straight, they didn't curve, and they most certainly didn't have a set of stairs reaching to the book shelf like the first one she had seen.

'Oh this is heaven,' Belle whispered to herself as she raced into the middle of the room, before spreading her arms out wide and spinning like some love struck fool. But she really was in love. She was in love with this room, and the entire castle.

'I am so glad that you like it Belle,' Beast rumbled from behind her, where he hadn't taken one step inside.

'Oh Beast thank you, thank you so much,' Belle said as she raced to him and took his hands.

'This is your room Belle, you may have as many or as few as the servants within this room,' Beast looked away sadly. 'You may even keep me from this room. I would probably only be too loud anyway,' he spoke soberly. This in turn made Belle sad, sad that he thought she would want to push him out of something that he had given her, and something this wonderful she just had to share with him.

'This is our room Beast, not just mine, please let's read a book together,' she said with a huge smile on her face as she raced to the large book shelf and the ladders that lead to the top. 'What book would you like to read?' she asked and when no answer came she looked down to see that the Beast was very sad indeed. Sliding back down the ladder like something out of the movies Belle reached the bottom where he stood and took his hand in hers.

'Beast what is the matter?' she asked concerned. He had never seemed so sad until he'd taken her here. Was he not happy that she was happy? She thought that would make him overjoyed, his behaviour had seemed as such when he had been speaking of this room, he had seemed so excited.

'Belle,' he blushed as though embarrassed. 'Belle I cannot read. What kind of beast could read?' he asked, and when she sensed he was to fist his hand in anger she removed hers and patted him on the shoulder.

'Beast you are not stupid, you have the brain to read, you are like me a mammal, we are not so different,' Belle replied and he looked at her dumbstruck as though he couldn't believe she had been so nice, or had said something so ridiculous.

'Belle I am an animal.'

'No, you're not, I don't know any kind of animal that could speak to me. If you can speak then you can read.'

'Why do you treat me so kindly? Is it because I saved you? You speak to me as though I am human.'

'I have felt that there was something human about you since the night I met you, I know I am probably being ridiculous in such a thought, but I want to treat you like a human. Now come Beast, I will teach you to read. You may pick any book that strikes your fancy and I will help you read it,' Belle promised and he reached out a hand to stroke her hair.

'You are an angel in disguise,' he whispered, tears in his eyes, but before she could reach up a hand he had taken off to find a book and so she retreated to one of the desks just either side of the set of stairs in the room.

When Beast returned she patted the seat beside her and held out her hand for the book. It was a hardback red book, and looked as though it was as old as the castle itself. Was her mate as old as this book too?

'The title, could you read it for me?' Belle asked and when Beast squinted his eyes at it, she smiled compassionately before giving him tips. 'Here Beast, spell the letters out individually, and then sound them out, see: A t-h-ing o-f b-ea-ut-y,' Belle said, sounding out the title of the poem by John Keats. Not a French poet, but it was her favourite poem nonetheless.

'A thing of Beauty?' Beast asked repeating what she had just said and she nodded.

'Now let's try to read the poem together,' she said, hoping that he had gotten the hang of sounding out the letters.

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever, have you got that so far?' She asked of Beast and he nodded.

'I seem to understand the lettering and how they all join up,' he replied which made her smile. She could tell that he would love books and reading as much as she did.

'Let's read it as one then,' she suggested and they did.

'

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its lovliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.'

When they had finished and Belle had turned to Beast with a look of utter happiness she saw that he was too absorbed in the rest of the poem to realise that she had stopped reading, it was only when she put a hand to his paw and closed the book that he turned to her.

'Must we stop reading now?' He asked and she smiled encouragingly at that. She had been right when she said that he would love reading as much as she did. She had almost been loath to close the book at such a beautiful poem reading with her mate.

'Of course Beast, I am so hungry, I've had nothing to eat in so long I feel as though I will die of hunger,' Belle informed of him with a weak smile. But she honestly was so hungry she could have eaten a horse. Lovely French delicacy to be honest.

'My apologies Belle, I was just far too excited in showing you this room that I got distracted from your needs. I should have made sure you were fed after your ordeal. Come we shall go to the kitchen and return to the poem when you are fit to burst of your share of food,' Beast told her and she laughed at that.

'Of course,' she said and then, as they were leaving, muttered to herself, 'who knew my mate and I would have so many things in common?'

And as she left the library she did not notice the servants located in the library, for they had been watching her interaction with their master, and wondering if she would break the spell cast over him for them. For they too had never aged, never died and they wanted the chance to leave the castle and begin their own families. And they knew, deep in their hearts, that Belle was the key to that.


	15. Chapter 15

'Belle,' Beast began and she looked over at him with wonder in her eyes. He was the most wonderful being she had ever come across in deed he was, but he was also the kindest, considering his form and how many people must be afraid of him. He was a beast with the manners of a gentleman. She still could not believe that he had given her a room filled to the rafters with books, all for her own use.

'Yes Beast?' She asked as she took a bite from the amazing and delicious brownies that Francine had made especially for her. After all Francine had taken it upon herself to tell Belle that all women needed at least one portion of chocolate a day, and to forget about the apple a day comment many of the English had made up.

'I was wondering if you'd read your tarot cards for me,' he asked, and she realised that he had spoken true when he said that he accepted her for who she was. After all why else would he want a tarot reading? 'I have always been fascinated by the cards and their beautiful paintings. Belle would you show me yours?' He asked and she didn't even have to think of the answer to that question. Beast had shown Belle the library, such a precious room, and she would show him her precious cards.

'Of course I will Beast,' she said and hurried off to the tower to collect them and the black silk bag they had been kept in, but she was back before he could miss her. And a part of her did miss him each minute they spent apart from each other. 'I'm back!' she trilled as she entered the dining room and placed the bag on the table far from the crumbs she had made on the table.

'Would you ask the cards what my future holds?' Beast asked and she looked at him in confusion. Did he not want anything in particular? Like, will Belle try to run away again? Why did he want something so vague it could tell him anything about the future? 'Because I never even thought of having one before you came along,' Beast added and Belle smiled at that. He was the sweetest thing she had ever come across. She frowned at that thought. She the mistress of darkness, she was feeling all light and happy about something? No, she decided a second later, she was feeling all happy and giggly and light because of someone…her mate.

And as she asked the question of the cards, shuffling them as she went along, and when the power she felt before her began to run through her veins she gasped and drew the first three cards from the deck.

'I think I've made a mistake,' Belle said on seeing the three cards that stared her so matter of factly in the face. 'I've pulled these cards before, but for some completely different question,' she added and when he looked over at them all the colour in his face began to drain.

'I know these cards,' he said and she frowned at that. Why did he seem so afraid of these cards, why so shocked? And how on earth had he seen these cards, they seemed ages older than she was. Then again he had made point of telling her that he was lifetimes older than she was.

'Beast I don't know how to put it but these cards aren't telling me anything about you,' Belle apologised and then looked closer at the past card: Betrayal, the present: Lovers and the future: the two of cups which was marriage.

'Look closer Belle,' Beast instructed of her as though he himself could read these cards as well as she had, or as though he had seen those cards before, had heard her speak aloud there meanings.

'Betrayal, but were you betrayed in the past Beast?' Belle asked and to her horror he nodded. 'And the present, I drew lovers?' Again he nodded and motioned to her, as if to say you are my fated mate. 'Marriage,' that last card scared her more than any of the other cards she would ever find in the deck, because Belle was afraid of marriage more than anything else in the world. After all when a woman married a man she was expected to do things, she was expected to stay at home, and cook and clean and the worst of all the responsibilities…bare children. Belle was most afraid of that responsibility, fearing that she would not make a good mother.

Then she looked at Beast, yes he was a gentleman and yes he was very handsome in that roguish, animalistic way but she just couldn't see them fitting together in that way. They just weren't in proportion to each other. And what would their children be like? Yes, he was the perfect beast, but he could never be the perfect lover. In her sadness at such a thought she turned her head away and grabbed a brownie which she stuffed in her face. Francine was always right about things a woman needed.

'Belle are you okay?' Beast asked and she realised that he was quietly reading her body language and seeing her sadness, her withdrawal away from him. 'What is the matter my friend?' He asked and she shrugged sadly. See he was just so perfect for her, he didn't mind about her using her magik, in fact he seemed to support her in it. And he was just so lovely.

'You know this can never work out,' she replied sadly, speaking of them being fated mates. Why had they been chosen for each other if she was so much younger than he was? How could they be mates when he was a beast? None of these questions did she have an answer to, and it irritated her to know that for once she didn't know everything.

'Belle…' Beats began but then stopped. He knew as well as she did that she was right. After all fated mates could never lie to each other. 'How do you feel about me?' he asked after a small pause, as though he'd been carefully thinking about what to say.

'To be truthful Beast I love everything about you, in theory. I love the way you protect me though sometimes I won't always need it. I love the fact that you risked your life to save me and that you gave me that library all to myself. You're so considerate, and I like the fact that we are great friends, but I just don't think this could work out for us. I mean your hundreds of years older than me and you're a completely different species to me, I mean you are more animal than human,' she reminded him, turning to look at him, shocked to see her own tears reflected in his eyes.

'Am I Belle? Am I truly more Beast than man? I speak your tongue and I have the same feelings and ideals as a gentleman, I care for you Belle, but even I know it could never work out. I mean we're just too different for all of the things we have in common,' he told her and she nodded. He spoke true.

'I am sorry Beast,' she replied and made her way out of the room, the castle and into the garden outside. Belle knew that she couldn't be around him too much longer, everything he said and everything he did endeared her all the more to him and she couldn't stand it. She wished that the circumstances were different but they weren't and it was something she was going to have to learn to live with. She would never make love to her mate and she would never be able to hold him, lest he hold her too tight and crush her to death.

'Belle!' Beast called after her, but she had already gone, run from him again. Had she ran from him, from what he was, or from her own feelings for him? He wondered if she was just as muddled up as he was. After all his cursed form was the one thing keeping them from each other. Her cards were true. He'd been betrayed and been cursed because of it. He wanted to love her, could feel the seed of it striving to sprout but he knew that he was no good for her; he was only a danger to her. No wonder she had left his company.

For a moment he wondered if he should leave her be, after all Francine was giving him a look that said, 'Leave her be, the girl needs her space,' so he left her be. At least until there came a stabbing pain in his right leg, as though a thorn had just dug into him from behind. A rose thorn as sharp and as deadly as anything ever known to him, was the one connected to the beautiful black and blood red roses that adorned his garden at the back of the house. Was Belle _picking _the roses from the ground?!

'Foolish mate,' he stormed and went to all fours once more, to increase his speed to getting to the garden, to stop her from doing something so irrevocably dangerous to the both of them. After all the roses were part of the curse. Perhaps the witch had predicted a woman coming into the garden and plucking the roses for her own? But surely the witch would not have been able to predict that the woman would be his very own mate!

'Belle, stop!' He cried as he entered the garden and found her holding a blood red rose in her hand. She had already plucked a part of him from the garden, and now the rest of the roses would begin to wilt. She had just started a countdown to, not only their relationship but to their own lives.

'What?' She asked, looking up at him with that innocent, but for some reason constantly sad expression as she raised the rose to her nose and sniffed. She smiled, yet it was still sadly. 'Did I do something wrong?' she asked and he frowned at that. Had she not felt the pain in her leg? Or was that another part of the curse that he alone must endure?

'Yes, Belle these roses are very important to me. I have taken care of them for years since I left, they are my life,' he said hoping he sounded like an overly enthusiastic gardener and not panicked because he could feel his life force begin to drain from him.

'I apologise,' Belle replied and tried to plant the rose back in the ground, but the foolish girl did not realise that the rose no longer had any roots, and even if it had, she could not prevent the slow death they were going through at the minute. 'Are you okay Beast, you look afraid?' Belle asked and he shook his head.

'It's just my father gave me these roses in a seed packet, they are very dear to me.' Yes and then the witch had cursed them as well as him, for they were the only other living things that he had cared for above all else. Of course she had singled them out, as his life and destruction.

'I am so sorry Beast,' Belle apologised and she looked so sad that he decided he would cheer her up. It was the least he could do after all. She wouldn't have been sent out to the garden and picking the rose if he had handled the conversation between them better.

'Never mind that now, Belle I think you should take your cards and go and bathe. Stay in your room until I come for you. Francine and Pottes have prepared a special meal for us tonight so I want you to dress in the best dress you can find within your wardrobe. But please, no make-up I want your natural beauty to dine with,' Beast told her, wondering if she'd love the surprise he had in mind for her more than she'd loved the library or not. Surely.

'Alright,' she said and then she ran away leaving the rose on the floor behind.


	16. Chapter 16

Belle was taking a soak in the bath just as Beast had ordered of her, to her delight, but there was something on her mind, that kept her from relaxing. When she'd picked the rose in the garden he'd seemed so angry at her and she just couldn't understand why. Yes his father had given the seeds to him, she understood that much, but why the panic as well? It didn't make any sense.

'He seems to covet roses just as much as I do,' she mused and as she scrubbed her legs before reaching for her shaver she asked, 'I wonder if he will ever care for me as much as he does those roses. I know that I said there was no hope for us as a couple, that we'd never last, but there must be a reason that we were put together. After all I have only one mate in this life and so does he, there must be a reason that we are fated. Fate cannot put two people together who cannot make a life. Perhaps I should try harder to make him covet me more than he does his rose garden,' she added and with that decided, and her legs newly shaven, she left the bathroom and made her way to the adjoining room, of which was her tower.

And as she began to flip through what item of clothing she would be wearing tonight there came a knock at the door. Answering it in her dressing gown, she found herself looking at two ecstatic women, friends of hers. Amandine and Francine stood there, great big smiles on their faces, and their eyes alight with excitement.

'We have come to help you dress,' they announced and Belle's eyes narrowed, had Beast sent them? Did he not think her capable of dressing herself? Yes she did not seem to be a woman of which was acquainted with dresses, but surely she could figure out how to put one on by herself.

'Are these the master's orders?' She asked, raising an eyebrow and the two girls shook their head.

'Of course not, we came as friends that is if you do not mind. We wanted to help you find the perfect dress in the wardrobe, that and we came to chat.' Amandine said and Belle nodded. That was great.

'In fact, my sister here fails to add that we thought you would want a girly confidante whilst here since your friend Red has left,' Francine said and Belle gasped at that, they were sisters? Well they did have the –ine at the end of their names, she could have figured it out that way, surely.

'Of course, come in, come in, sit wherever you like,' Belle said, feeling more girly than she ever had in her entire life. 'I just got out of the bath,' she added as she made her way to her underwear draw to gather a bra and panties. When she turned around the two women were seated on her bed, looking at the bra item with confused expressions. Surely they had seen a bra before, they were after all women, Belle thought to herself.

'Belle you will not need that item of underwear with the dresses the master has given you, it would bunch under the silk and satin and make you very unappealing in that part of your body,' Amandine said and so Belle returned the bra before making her way to her wardrobe. There she discovered that the dresses were indeed made of satin and silk, and that she was foolish in thinking she could ever get dressed by herself. She had never seen any item of clothing like this; at least outside of a Jane Austen movie.

'On second thoughts would you two help me dress?' Belle asked and the two sisters leapt to their feet.

'We thought you'd never ask,' they said as one, and stood, one at each of Belle's shoulders as she tried to pick a favourite dress, a dress that would make Beast go crazy for her. A dress that would show the witch that was very obvious in her and the girly girl in her that wasn't as obvious. She wanted Beast to see her as the woman as well as the witch. She wanted to show him that magik wasn't the only thing she held dear in her life. She held love dear, though she'd never show it. She'd always wanted a sister and Red had been as close as she would ever get. She'd never wanted her mate before but only because she didn't know how perfect he was for her; he was mixed with parts of dark and light just as she was. Sometimes she looked at him and felt that she was looking at a man not a beast. He had animalistic and human qualities about him that sometimes confused her.

As the maid and the kitchen hand, her two new best friends helped her into the dress that she had picked out, a dark blood red one with a long flowing skirt that started at her waist not her hips; she decided that she would tell them about her thoughts.

'Amandine, Francine,' she began through tight breaths as the latter of the sisters pulled tight at the strings that would affix the dress to her body. 'There is something I must tell you. It concerns the master,' she added and in the mirror upon the dresser she saw their reflected looks of shock, mixed with hope.

'We are all ears, we figured you'd need a woman to speak to, after all it's not so easy when any woman finds her mate, let alone a woman in your predicament,' Amandine said and once Belle was tied into her dress she plopped down onto the bed and onto her back.

'I am at such a loss,' she confessed and they both took a seat either side of her, as only friends would dare do. 'You know the master and I have been getting on so well since he rescued me and bought me back?' she asked and they both nodded furiously. Belle tried to stifle a laugh when she realised that they seemed like two teenage girls who were about to receive gossip, and maybe they were. 'The master and I are great friends, and I'd even be obliged to consider him a best friend…' she trailed off and the girls squealed excitedly as though they knew what she was going to say.

'But…'

'But I think, no I know I have begun to feel more for him, the only problem is, I do not believe he feels the same for me,' Belle finished and the two girls clapped excitedly.

'I knew it,' Francine said and Belle's brow crinkled in confusion. What did she speak of? How did she know? Belle hadn't told anybody, had she? 'You didn't have to tell anybody Belle, your face did it for you, every time you looked at him, we could see the feeling in your eyes,' she added and Belle smiled.

'What should I do though? He and I, we are of different species,' she said to which Amandine's eyes narrowed in confusion.

'Are you sure of that? Why do you not just tell him of your feelings and see how he responds? You may be surprised about what happens,' she added and Belle nodded. She was a brave woman, she was a courageous witch. She would prove it.

'Master what is wrong with you, you seem so preoccupied tonight,' Madame Pottes stated as he entered the kitchen and picked up an apple. One bite into it and he realised it was both sweet and sour, just like his little mate.

'We are of two different species; we cannot possibly make anything work out between us. She believes this, and I am not far from believing it too,' Beast said and when Pottes left the stove to come round to his side, his eyes narrowed in confusion. What was she doing? Since they'd been cursed into this castle she had never approached him like this, but then she'd had her two daughters to keep her company, she didn't need his. But right now she seemed to want it.

'Do not think like that master; you know that is far from true even as you say the words. Surely she already loves you. The allure of you as her mate wouldn't allow her to keep her distance, and as for all the things you've given her all the times you were sweet to her. Master if she does not want you then she does not deserve you,' Pottes informed him, giving him advice that was more precious to him than his entire castle.

'Thank you Louisa, you always know what to say to me to cheer me,' Beast said and smiled at her, showing a bit of beastly fang as he did. Oh what he wouldn't give to smile without it.

'Now hurry and go to her, I'm sure that she cannot wait to see what surprise you have in store for her this eve. I'm also very sure my daughters are helping her get ready and putting in a good word for you where they can, brother.'


	17. The Beast's Betrayal comes to light

'Belle?' Beast called through the closed door that lead to her tower. Even from down the corridor he had been able to hear his two nieces conversing with her as though they had been lifelong friends. He supposed it was a good thing, at least if his sister was right and they were putting in a good word for him at least Belle might actually take them seriously on it.

'Beast, come in,' the most beautiful French woman in the history of France called out and he gingerly entered the room, wondering what he would find in store. He wondered which of the many dresses he had given her she would dress in tonight, and he also wondered what things his nieces had said about him. How odd, he thought a moment later, to think that Belle was actually an aunt to her two newest best friends. He was sure the news would shock and delight her both at the same time when she discovered the truth. Shock, delight and confuse her, for she would wonder how a beast and a human female could have been born from the same woman.

When Beast reached the middle of the room and looked up to see Belle, he found his mate dressed in the most beautiful dress imaginable. Blood red in colour, it emphasised her beautifully dark black hair and her lips which he now saw were a pastel pink instead of the blood red they had been when he'd last seen her; and a part of him was even more attracted to them this colour than when they had been so dark. They showed the true beauty of her, and it got him to thinking what colour her hair was naturally, for he couldn't believe that she was a natural raven haired lass.

'Wow! Belle you look…' he trailed off when he saw that her hair was done up in a fancy bun pressed to the back of her head, and on the crown of her head his nieces had made a braid. His nieces had taken Belle's beauty and intensified it somehow.

'Yes?' She asked eagerly, and he wondered when the last time was that she had ever been complimented.

'Belle you look beautiful, you are a right Beauty,' Beast told her as he held out his hand for her to hold, he'd been so long without her soft touch that he'd forgotten almost what it felt like. What that odd connection felt like, whenever he touched her skin he had this jolt of electricity spread through his body from contact and he loved it. He felt as though he could not get enough. He would keep Belle there with him, even if it meant taking away her free will. He was beginning to…feel for her; it was something so different to what he'd felt before that it confused him. And sometimes he just didn't know what to do about it.

'Thank you Beast,' Belle spoke, gratitude lacing her tone and she took the hand he'd offered her. She was like a Lady, a Lady to the Lord he had once been. 'So, where in the castle are you taking me tonight?' She asked with a smile and he sighed with such longing. Oh how he would kill for a chance to press his lips to hers, just once more.

'The dining room first. Are you not hungry my love?' he asked and when he saw her eyes soften and her mouth open wordlessly, he panicked thinking that she was about to tell him that they had no future, just as she had earlier that day. And such words Beast did not think he had the heart to bear them. He would not hear them, and so decided to change the conversation along another path, a less painful one.

'Of course I am Beast,' she said and let her escort her to the dining room. What she didn't hear and what he did, as they walked away, was words from his nieces.

'They make such a cute couple. I hope Belle discovers the truth,' Francine said to Amandine.

'I hope she becomes our Aunty she's so cool,' Amandine replied and Beast smiled at that. He thought that she was cool too. He thought many other things about her too, but he could not bring himself to even mention them to Belle let alone his female family members.

When Beast had picked her up from her tower and she'd seen him look at her with such admiration and hunger Belle had felt herself respond in kind. And then he'd called her his Love and she had felt her heart skip a beat, and sigh. She'd wanted to tell him that she had weird feelings for him; she wanted to discuss them to see if he felt the same.

However she ignored her feelings and took his hand, allowing him to lead her away to the dining room where, as he'd claimed earlier, Madame Pottes had a great meal awaiting them. As hungry as Belle was she felt that she could eat just as much as Beast himself could. Yet her stomach also revolted with the extent of her feelings. Amandine and Francine, the twins had talked Belle into admitting her feelings to Beast. The butterflies were flying around her stomach, filling her with nerves.

'Dinner is served,' Madame Pottes trilled joyfully as she entered the dining room, her arms laden with dishes of glorious food. It was food that Belle would have loved to have dug into, were her stomach not revolting. 'I hope you came with a big appetite this time Belle, for I think I may have made way too much food.' Pottes reminded her of the mother that she had never had, and the mother that she had always wanted. She was kind hearted, caring and emotional, the complete opposite for what her own mother had been.

'I shall try Madame but I believe that there is something wrong with my stomach. It may have shrunk,' Belle excused and the glint in Pottes' told her that she knew what the matter with her stomach was. As impossible as that could be, Belle felt that Pottes knew her better than she knew herself.

'Do not worry Belle, I believe that my stomach may have shrunk too,' Beast informed her and she had to wonder if he was just being kind, or if he too was suffering from nerves as furious as hers. After all he was a very kind man, if not animalistic.

'Oh, great I cook and slave over a hot stove and neither of you are hungry?! I'll just have to hope that Francine and Amandine are hungry,' Pottes said as she left the plates and bowls of food and made her way back into the kitchen. Belle's mind stared at the food with longing and feelings of hunger, but her stomach threatened to spill its contents, right out her mouth. However not wanting to disappoint the kindly woman Belle reached forward and took a spoonful of mashed potato at the same time that Beast reached for the same bowl.

'Oh, sorry,' they apologised as one and blushed deeply. Belle withdrew her arm and watched as Beast served her something from every bowl and plate on the table.

'Thank you,' Belle said as she picked up her knife and fork and attempted to eat the meal set out for her, though her stomach revolted at the mere smell.

'My pleasure, so Belle tell me what have the twins been telling you about me whilst they were in your tower helping you to dress?' Beast asked and she saw that he was fighting to keep the conversation and the atmosphere between them relaxed. Not that it was awkward at all no; sexual tension filled the room, so thick that it could not have been cut by even one of Beast's claws.

'Well they were telling me about how these dresses used to belong to your mother, and how when she died you swore to hand these dresses down to your mate, me. They informed me that they see you as an Uncle and that they think you're the coolest Uncle ever. In fact I felt as though they were trying to influence me into telling you something, but I couldn't understand what,' Belle said, not willing to tell him she was considering telling him that she felt for him in a way that she had never felt for another man.

'Oh, Uncle Beast huh, what kind of an uncle would I have been to those two young women growing up?' He asked sadly and as she swallowed the bite of chicken and mashed potato she reached out and placed an arm upon his shoulder, attempting to be soothing.

'Beast you would have been the greatest Uncle and you would make the greatest father. You are so kind and you care for everybody here in this castle, you're generous and if I'm not mistaken, there is a strong paternal side to you, I just know it,' Belle said looking up at him with all that she felt for him in her heart.

'Finished with your meal?' Beast asked, refusing to comment on what she had just said to him; and when she nodded, disappointed in his reaction, she let him take her hand and lead her away from the dinner table and the dining room completely. 'Then let me show you the rest of your surprise,' he said and, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, he lead her through the beautiful hallway she had seen when she had first entered the castle, but this time instead of going towards the staircase or the right side of the building he led her to the left, a place she had yet to go.

'Where are we going?' Belle asked and he tapped his nose with one of his claw as if to say it was a secret. Such an action spoke of humanity and she was shocked to find that she was not shocked by his actions.

'You will find out soon my love,' Beast said and she melted again for the second time that night. My love. He spoke the words as though he truly cared for her, as if he felt the same way about her that she did about him; a way he didn't know about yet, and might know by the end of the night.

When they were but a few yards away from a set of double doors Beast commanded Belle to close her eyes and when she reopened them she found herself staring at a ballroom like something straight out of a fairy-tale. Unlike the rest of the castle, its interior was decorated in silver and gold and the dome of the room was painted as though to depict a story. It was just beautiful.

There were even two more double doors, leading to a balcony outside from what she could see through the glass panes. And at that moment she decided that that was the place where she would tell Beast all about her feelings for him.

And as she contemplated her plans music sounded from seemingly nowhere and Belle looked up to see Beast standing there, holding out both of his hands to her.

'Could I have this dance?' He asked and with a blush she shook her head. 'Why?' He asked softly, though she knew anger was not far behind. He was a man, and men did not like to be rejected, be him beast or human.

'I don't dance, I don't know how,' Belle confessed and he chuckled as though he was the stupid one for thinking she had meant to reject him. 'Teach me?' She asked and he nodded. Good, if he was this quick to teach her how to dance then perhaps he would be quick to teach her how to love.

'Put one of your hands on my shoulder and clasp my other hand with your free hand,' Beast said and when she did, he put his free hand on her waist. Lightning burned her where they touched. 'Now let me lead and I'm sure a quick study like you will be able to catch on,' Beast said and he was right, before she knew what was happening she was waltzing as though she'd waltzed her entire life.

'You dance wonderfully Beast,' Belle commented as she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, feeling more loved and more protected in that one moment than she had in her entire life. She had formed a friendship, a relationship with Beast that rivalled even her friendship with Red. He was a beast and yet he listened and spoke well more than any other man Belle knew. And she loved him for it. He had rescued her from a frozen death and she loved him for it. When it came down to it, Belle loved the Beast.

'As do you my love,' Beast replied and they waltzed around the entire room to the music, and at one point Beast spun her out so that she was holding onto him by just one hand and then, before she could feel bereft of his touch he spun her back in until he was holding her tight to her body. Tight enough so she could feel his heat, and that her body responded but not so tight he would crush her.

And as they gazed into each other's eyes Belle saw reflected in his the future that she wanted with him; she even wanted to be "Aunt" Belle to the twins that would make her happy. She saw life within the castle, a daughter, a beautiful daughter with long blonde hair, one that reminded her of Rapunzel. Yes she would call their daughter Rapunzel, because they would fit, if Fate had put them together like this they would fit and she would prove it.

'Beast I…'

'Belle I…'

'You go first Beast,' Belle allowed, still too nervous about what she was to say to him.

'Okay, there's something I want to show you Belle,' he said and taking her hand he led her to the balcony. Once there he gathered something up from a table close by, it appeared to her to be some kind of hand held mirror. One they'd had way, way back in the past. And it was beautiful, onyx for the main body it had blood red rubies set into the handle. 'This is for you,' he informed her and passed her the object.

'It's beautiful Beast,' Belle said, a wide grin taking up half of her face.

'That's not all, look into the mirror and speak the name of the person you most want to see, one who is not here at present,' Beast informed her and when she nodded he motioned for her to do so.

'Show me Red,' she said and when nothing happened she altered her statement, 'show me my best friend.' When a blinding ray of light exited the mirror she covered her eyes, until it died down and then she looked within to see her best friend was…in danger.

As panic constricted her throat and widened her eyes, Beast took her hand in his and waved his free hand in her face.

'Belle whatever is the matter?' He asked and when she refused to speak he shook her. 'Tell me what is wrong with you my love,' he demanded and at his harsh voice she burst out into loud snotty sobs like she never had before.

'Red is, she's in danger Beast, her father has kidnapped her and taken her to his castle, the horrible things that are going to happen there. He's going to take the Red I love and turn her into someone else,' Belle replied between sobs.

'Wait, Belle do you speak of Lord Tristram?' Beast asked and when she nodded he sighed. 'I thought something like this might happen. Belle I only wish I had been more relaxed and hadn't frightened your friend,' he finished and she looked up at him. Had he betrayed them?

'You knew this would happen? And you still let her leave?' Belle asked and when he nodded ashamed she shoved the mirror back into his hand and walked back into the ballroom. 'So what you and him are partners, you kept me here, you courted me to keep me busy so I wouldn't follow my friend is that it? You've condemned her to death and I'm supposed to just deal with it. You can take back your gifts, all the dresses, save this one. You betrayed me Beast and I…,' no she would not tell him now.

'Go,' he told her and she turned around hurt in her eyes. He was freeing her? 'Go to your friend I'm sorry that I hurt you,' he told her and she nodded.

'One day Beast you'll find out why I am so close to Red and why I will do anything for her,' Belle replied and as she left he took her arm and turned her to face him.

'Take the mirror; at least if you ever want to you can use it one more time. To see me,' he said and with a humph she took the object and left the Beast's life without so much as a goodbye, let alone the I love you she was going to give him.

And as she fled the castle the twins tried to stop her and Pottes tried to get her to take some food for the journey, but Belle would not listen, she stole a horse from the stables and galloped into the white forest, looking for the dark forest all along the way. She would save Red if it cost her her very own soul. She needn't have it anymore. Just like she needn't have her heart. Beast had broken it with lies.


	18. The witch and the big bad wolf

When Belle finally found the dark forest she was immediately surrounded by fearful things, or at least they would have been fearful if she'd never known the likes of the beast. Bats and wolves and many other feral creatures surrounded her, but she was not afraid. She had the magic in her to protect herself from harm, and or harm them in return. Just like the beast had remarked, she was a witch and whilst up in the tower with Francine and Amandine she had read her small book of shadows thoroughly and had learned many defensive and offensive spells by heart.

She hadn't journeyed far into the forest when the great dark castle came into view. It was as darkly coloured as that of the beast's castle, but it gave off an even crueller aura. This was the home of Red's father Lord Tristram, and if she did not make it in time then he would turn her into something that Red despised, he would turn her into a Lady.

At that thought Belle increased her speed until she was running. Red's very soul depended on Belle and the magic she had to contradict that of the Lord's. If she could just harm him even in the slightest bit then she could rescue Red and they could leave. She would take the mirror that Beast had given her and she would sell it for as much as she could, and then they would leave France behind. They would move as far away as was possible and start a new life. Belle would masquerade as a gypsy and tell passers by their future.

She'd nearly reached the damned castle when she tripped and fell over something hard and warm lying on the floor. With a face full of dirt she contemplated what the object could be. However no sooner had she decided what it was than the object began to move and…speak.

'I fell asleep, again, gods no!' the thing howled and Belle looked up to see that the thing she had fallen over some sort of wolf man. Perhaps it was even a werewolf, Belle thought to herself, after all she had seen a lot of things one only thought real in fairy tales. How could she, the mate of a beast, rule anything out? 'Have to save her,' the werewolf continued, drawing Belle out from her musings.

'Excuse me,' she began cautiously, she did not want to get on the wrong side of yet another animal she already knew how dangerous they could be, both to your body and your heart. She'd learned the hard way. This werewolf, man by morning and wolf by night, would never harm his own mate, but he would harm anyone he saw as a threat or an obstacle in getting what he wanted.

'What do you want?' The werewolf snapped and Belle took a step backward. 'You are in my way, I must get to her before the worst happens,' he added and she nodded, realising now what he was doing and why he was there.

'You're going to rescue Red?' Belle asked knowingly and he nodded, bearing a fang. He was likely a handsome man, with the dark black of his coat she could imagine his hair was the same colour and his eyes that were as green as emeralds, they were incredible, incredible and intelligent. And filled with so much pain and heartache that Belle could not look into them a moment longer without feeling as though she might be infected by the same emotions.

'Of course I am; what kind of a mate would I be if I just left her there to meet her fate? Do you even understand how much her kind and my kind hate each other?' he asked and when she shook her head he snarled. 'Didn't think so.'

'You're her mate?' Belle asked in surprise. Why would Fate give Red a mate that she would come to despise when all was said and done? Did he not realise that they wouldn't work together? Yes she had thought that about herself and her own mate, but then again she'd also been right hadn't she? After all that was the reason she had left him and his castle behind. He'd betrayed her and she had decided to come and rescue her best friend.

'Of course I am. Do you think I would lie about such a thing? And who are you if you don't mind me asking?' He asked and she decided that she would indulge him, after all what bad could come from it.

'I am Red's best friend Isabelle,' Belle informed him and when he nodded she decided on something. 'Look werewolf…'

'Caleb,' he growled.

'Look Caleb,' she began once more, this time using the name he had. 'We both want to protect and save Red, how about we just work together on this?' Belle asked and he seemed to be puzzling it over in those intelligent green eyes of his.

'What makes you think you can help me?' Caleb asked and she smirked at that. Really he didn't want her help? Well she would just have to make him want that help wouldn't she?

'Think? Oh no, I know that I can help you, and I know that you'll need help disabling the protection barrier the Lord has placed around his castle. I am after all a witch, and I know the exact spell we can use to cloak us, to get us into that castle. That is if you don't mind looking and acting like a vampire until we can rescue your mate,' Belle said and he just looked at her as though her were crazy. 'So the wittle wolf doesn't want help from the big bad witch?' she asked, hoping to stir him into a decision.

'You consider yourself the big and bad out of the two of us?' Caleb asked astounded and seeming on the verge of laughter himself. 'I'll have you know I'm as big and as bad a wolf as they come and you would do well not to mock me,' he said and she nodded. Fine.

'Then let's get a move on,' Belle said and pointed to a fallen log where she wanted him to sit. 'Now do you want me to begin the spell or do you wish for me to wait a few more days, so Red can face her fate?' Belle asked and he nodded, informing her that yes he would like her to get on with the spell.

'What do you need?' Caleb asked and she thought about that, usually she would need the DNA of a vampire to become like a vampire, but they didn't have that luxury, so she was just going to have to give them fangs and mask their heart beats.

'Find me wood chippings and lavender,' she informed him and when he loped off, wolfishly she gathered her book of shadows and turned the page about transformation. It turned out that she also needed a prick of their own blood, water and moss. She set out to collect these and when she returned she found him there sitting on the log holding the wood chips in his paws carefully. Just the way Beast had held you in his arms when you two had danced, Belle told herself and when tears pricked in her eyes she blinked them away, sternly instructing herself not to be such a girl.

'I have returned with the water and the moss,' Belle informed him and when he handed over the wood chips and lavender she began the spell.

'Oh Great Goddess of Earth whose trees bare this wood here

Take this bark and transform it into fangs with care

Oh Great Goddess of water, who gives us liquid life

Take this water and mix it with our blood, cut by a knife,' here she took her athamay and poked Caleb and then herself in turn with the blade.

When she had completed the spell she placed the bloody water onto the wood chippings transforming them into a set of fangs, of which they placed inside their mouths over their own natural teeth. And instead of being uncomfortable like a pair of plastic, tacky Halloween vampire fangs, they melded, lengthening and sharpening the teeth they already had.

'Goddesses of Earth and Water who keep the grass wet and the moss damp

We place your offerings over our hearts and pray you keep them silent,' she added and when she and Caleb did as she'd said their hearts grew quiet. Not stopping, making them the un-dead completely, but masking the sound.

'Are we finished?' Caleb asked and when she nodded they turned back to the direction of the castle and made their way forward, the werewolf complaining about his new transformation as they made their way along the dark forest path. When morning come, he would not like the new form he would be given.


	19. The witch returns

'My own love?' Beast lamented as he paced the west tower, the room where she had slept, and the place she had called home. 'I betrayed my own love?' He howled to the rafters, wishing he could transport himself back to the plane he had remained before, but he now knew he hadn't the choice of that. His roses were wilting and he was growing weaker with every second that passed. How long he had left he did not know. All he knew was that he and Belle would soon die, if he could not find an heir of the witch to break the spell she had concocted all those years ago.

Where was he to find an heir of the witch that had cursed him all of those years ago? He believed that she had lied that night when she cursed him; he couldn't believe the unfeeling bitch to love or to even have the need for things other women did to bear children. But perhaps she bore a child just so as to continue her magical lineage, her magical evil lineage so that the world would always be cursed by her very presence. To this day Beast had always wondered what had made the witch so evil, so cold and so unfeeling.

'Belle,' he whispered as he sat down on the side of her bed and stroked the bed where she had lay, the bed where he had painstakingly spent his time reviving her from whatever sleep had stolen her from him when she had been ill. It was the same place they had shared their first kiss. So what that the first kiss was to cure all of the pain and sleepiness? Beast still cared for that first kiss as he did her, regardless of whether or not she had felt anything from him on contact, not like he had.

And now she was gone, to find her best friend. Beast didn't want to feel the envy coursing through his veins, but there it was nonetheless. The point she'd made about him finding out why she loved her best friend so much, he still couldn't fathom. How was he to know why a woman would care more for a friend than for her own fated mate; her own life? And there had been something she'd wanted to say to him last night on the balcony. What had it been? Why hadn't he let her speak first? Why had he had to say what was on his mind aloud? Why did he have to make her think that he and this Tristram guy were in league? All that he knew about the vampire lord, the only reason he knew about him was because of the screams that rent the air every night and the survivors that arrived at his door, for somewhere safe to remain from the outside world. He and the vampire lord were no more in league than he'd been born a beast.

'Most hated fiend!' Roared to the tower's ceiling and when there came a knock on the door his brows furrowed and his hands fisted in anger, who would dare disturb him at this moment in time? His family, who had been completely concerned for his wellbeing last night, had left him alone when he'd requested it. So who, upon who would be at his door at this most hated hour?

When Beast ripped the door off of its hinges and looked down to see a very familiar and very much hated figure standing there.

'You,' Beast said, reaching forward to rip her to pieces.

'Ah ah ah Monsieur Bête,' the fiend replied tauntingly. 'You wouldn't want to do that now.' She said and Beast wondered why she was even still alive, what was she doing here, how had she lived for so long? Yes he had lived for so long because of her curse, but how had she?

'You should be dead witch,' Beast told her and she only sneered, her long black hair waving over her shoulder as she did so as though there were a constant breeze behind her. Little did he know that it was caused by the amount of power within her!

'And you seem to be on your way there my friend, I don't even believe you would actually have the strength to tear me to pieces even in your grotesque form,' the witch replied and he lunged forward once more. 'But just in case you do have the strength, I will warn you that if you kill me your roses will die the moment that I do and your woman, your mate will die along with you and the curse,' she said and the Beast knew somehow that she did not lie.

'I am not seen as grotesque by my fated mate witch. If I'd had but a little more time with her then I am sure that I could have made her love me. We were growing closer with every moment that passed. And I loved her, if she felt but half of what I felt for her then I know she loved me back,' Beast replied and the witch looked at him astounded.

'That cannot be, she would never fall for one such as you,' at the witch's words he gave a questioning look and she seemed to trip over her next few words. 'Who would fall in love with you? It was surely only the fated mating between the two of you which compelled her to stay with you! But now, lookie here you are all on your own, no mate and none of my children here to help break your curse! Oh what a shame,' she said and began to turn away but he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

'What do you mean there is none of you children here to help me?' Beast demanded of her and when she turned, with those emerald eyes piercing through to his very soul it seemed, she deigned to answer him.

'I have but one daughter still alive this day, like her parents, for my mate was a witch also, she has stayed alive, her one true blessing the fact that she knows not of her lineage,' the witch replied and Beast raised his hand. Not usually a violent man, he was beset by the emotion now as the witch stood and blatantly teased him with the cure to his curse.

'Where is she?' Beast demanded of her and when she gave no answer, only smiled secretively and tapped her nose he roared with the denial.

'I shall tell you but one thing my good natured friend,' the witch replied sarcastically, 'she is about to encounter a big bad wolf and a vampire. Tell me Beast how do you feel about being almost drained of all of your blood at a moment of weakness like this?'


	20. Belle hunts the vampire

'Where is she?' Belle demanded of Caleb that morning when she awoke to find that her friend was missing. Or at least the body where her friend was housed, somewhere. She'd hoped to be able to take Usha away to a remote darkened place so that she could look for a cure for her friend's vampirism. And if she couldn't cure it then Belle had decided to find a spell to make Usha think like Red had always thought. She would have made her regress into the kind, caring, beautiful Red she had been before she had returned to her father's castle. And as Belle watched Caleb's face fall and she realised that he had let her get away, Belle wondered why Red had even returned to a place where she had sworn she would not.

'I do not know Belle, I'm sorry but she tricked me, she tricked me to lower my guard and then she escaped, I am so sorry,' Caleb said and she nodded her head. It was not all right at all but it would do.

'Do not worry Caleb, I have another way of discovering where she is,' Belle informed him and removed from around her neck the scrying crystal that had led to her finding her fated mate, the beast, perhaps it could help her find her best friend, or at least what was left of her. So placing the crystal on the floor she used it as a compass and watched as it pointed the way that she had come, through the white forest. Where had Usha gone? To her grandmother's house or somewhere very different?

'The white forest?' Caleb asked, echoing her thoughts and she nodded, as she nodded in that direction, picked up her crystal and they made their way, in the blinding sunlight to the forest where snow fell and animals scurried and leapt gracefully and confidently. In the white forest there was no danger. At least there hadn't been until they had lost Usha to it.

'Let's go,' Belle said and when she entered the white forest she began to wish that she had placed a tracking spell on the vampire, that way she would not have to use her scrying crystal like this. She also wished she had bought a map of the forest with her; perhaps the beast would have had one, because she could have used it with her scrying crystal for a quicker result in finding the vampire, and Belle felt a sudden sense of urgency. She had to find Usha before something bad happened, but what would Usha do that was bad. Where would she have gone?

When Belle placed her crystal on the floor she realised that Usha had not gone to her grandmother's house but instead the other direction. But there wasn't any other place that was darkened for her to stay in during the day, nowhere other than…

'She wouldn't,' Belle muttered to herself and when Caleb looked at her oddly she pulled her hand mirror from her pocket, the one Beast had given her and called his name into the glass. And to her horror she saw Usha and she saw her beloved mate.

'Your end is coming soon Beast,' the witch told him and when he looked at her confused, the roses hadn't completely wilted yet, she continued. 'A force far greater than yourself is on the way here. It will come before night fall and weak as you are without your mate and your roses she will end you.'

'Nothing can end me. I would not allow it. I would not allow my death to spell my mate's death,' Beast said and she nodded, seemingly proud.

'Good, so how about I help you,' the witch said and he looked at her curiously. She wanted to help him this time around. Why? What was the catch? What did she want from him this time? Last time she had wanted to take his beauty and turn him into the beast he was today. What more could she want from him? Or was his self-defence more than she could ask for?

'Why would you want to help me when you cursed me?' He asked of the witch and she shrugged.

'Perhaps I feel that I owe you, that I do not want to be Fate's lackey anymore,' she mused and he knew she lied. She was too unfeeling to help anybody, least alone him.

'Seriously what do you want from me?' Beast asked and as she paced the room in which they were in he could see the thoughts whirring in her mind, could see her deciding what she wanted from him.

'Perhaps I wish for your first born in exchange for your life. Perhaps you can help me find my daughter who knows what I want,' the witch said and at that same moment in time the double doors crashed open downstairs and Beast rushed to the location of the sound to find Red there. Yet she did not look like Red anymore, not only that but her aura was completely different too. This wasn't Red, no matter what her outward appearance would suggest. This was the vampire daughter of Lord Tristram. This was Lady Usha wasn't it?

'You want my help or not?' The witch asked and when he nodded, he did so for the sake of his mate, not for himself.

'Yes,' he said and the word was barely out of her mouth when she handed him a stake, a vial of holy water and a cross for him to wear. To defend and attack the vampire woman. Could he hurt Belle's best friend for her own sake? He wondered to himself as the woman approached the staircase that stood between them.

'Good luck Beast,' the witch told him and when the vampire flew at him he punched her in the face and the cross her wore around his fist, dangling near his clenched claws made her fly backwards, away from him, and back to where she had come from. Unfortunately, fortunately, whichever way you looked at it, the double door entrance was closed.

'Beast, I have come for my revenge,' Usha called out and his brow furrowed in confusion. Revenge, what he had ever done to her to warrant this attack, this battle here and now? He wondered to himself as she flew at him once more.

'I have done nothing to you vampire,' Beast denied but she still continued to claw at his furry body with her own claws. Yes she was powerful, yes she was strong, but what did she want. Did she want her best friend to die; did she want him to die? Yes he had scared her, but he hadn't meant to scare her to her father. Had she lost all sense of humanity as well as her soul?

'You may not have but your mate, your woman tried to change me back to I was before,' she said and swiped low with her claws meaning to get his knees but he dodged backwards and she missed.

'Look Usha I can help you with this. I know Red is still in there, I know she's kind and caring and supportive of her best friend. I know she wants her best friend to find love and have a family,' Beast said and Usha never stopped. Red was defeated, she was caged and she struggled to make her way to the surface.

'Nobody can help me, nor do I want their help,' Usha snarled as she backed him into a corner and clawed at his torso, this time connecting with fur, and pushing through to flesh, and blood trickled then began to flow down his chest in a fast stream.

'Then why are you here if not to grab Belle's attention?' Beast asked as he tried to staunch his bleeding with his paw.

'Because she betrayed me, she would not let me remain in the comfort of my father's home. She teamed up with my fated mate, she tied my wrists with both rope and magic; I had to bite off my own shoulders to get free. I had to pretend like I was Red again to throw my werewolf mate off the scent that I was going to escape from them. And now all I have to do is kill you and then Belle will never come after me again. Belle will never be there to return me to the human state I had before.'

'You won't kill me Usha, I am stronger than you,' Beast fronted, he knew she could kill him and it looked like she wanted to. But he couldn't let her know that he was so weak, his front was the best defence he had right now.

'Oh yeah?' Usha asked and clawed at him again. He only managed to dodge this time because she seemed to be low on blood, and for some reason she would not feed off of him, even though vampires could and would feed from people who weren't their mates, male or female.

And with the advantage he'd been given he raced down the stairs, hoping to make it into the garden away from her, where she could not hurt him. After all the sun would burn her to a crisp before she could lay a claw on him.

Fortunately he did make his way down to the entrance, and luckily he did make it out into the sunlight. However it became apparent that Usha had risked the sun too, and that she was not like any other vampire he had ever heard of. Not even her father. Usha was immune to the sun. Why?! Was it because her mate was a werewolf? Had she developed immunity because her mother had been human?

'You thought I would burn to ashes out here?' Usha asked and he could tell that she had been shocked and now that she had gotten over her shock she was back to being a vengeful vampire.

'Well that is what vampires are supposed to do. They're supposed to hunt at night and sleep in the day or they could turn into ash,' Beast said and raced to the gardens where the sun was direct. Would that kill her?

No, it turned out and he had reached his rose bed, and he was dismayed to find that half of the roses were completely wilted, having no petals altogether. He was going to die, and soon. He had only maybe hours, he realised and his fear grew to extortionate levels. He and Belle were to die soon, for he knew not where the witch's offspring lived.

'Die Beast and take your mate with you,' Usha said as she sunk her claw into his stomach and plunged deep.

'No!' Belle had only just reached the castle and what she saw made her blood curdle. 'No Usha, don't do it!' She screamed when she saw her best friend standing over her fated mate, her hand in his stomach. She was going to kill Beast and Belle herself.

'Belle!' Beast called out and she raced towards him yet he only shook his furry head. He did not want her to come any closer to her. But it was alright, she already felt his pain, what much would it do to her if Usha turned her bloody claws to her.

'Beast no!' She screamed when she saw Usha pull her hand back from the Beast's stomach. Belle fell in her attempt to get there. Placed her hand to her stomach and felt the blood pouring from it. Tears flooded her eyes as she realised that she would die, that Beast would die without ever knowing she loved him. The thought made her gasp with realisation as much as the wound did with pain.

'Belle,' Beast said and when Usha saw that they were both dying she chortled.

'Well my work here is done, I leave for my father's castle now,' Usha said and transformed into a bat and flew in the direction of the dark forest.

'Beast,' Bell called out as she began to desperately crawl towards her mate, her true love, the man she would rather die for than live without. Now she realised what and why Fate had made these fated mates, why he had made it so that one could not live without the other. He did it in kindness. 'Beast stay strong, don't die.' She begged of him, but she didn't notice the flowers as their last petals began to fall.

'Belle I will die, we will die today. We would have done so with or without Usha's attack.' Beast said as he began to crawl towards her.

'What do you mean Beast? Why would we have still died today?' She asked of him confused. But when he only shook his head, not wanting to tell her she crawled the last stretch towards him. Undoubtedly dragging all kinds of dirt into her wound.

'I wish not to tell you, my love,' he refused and when they were beside each other Beast took her in his arms and looked down at her. 'I am so sorry.'

'Sorry for what?' Belle asked confused. She wasn't sorry that they'd met, that they were mates. So why should he?

'I'm sorry that we became like this. That we met, that I hurt you. I didn't mean to and now we are dying. My one regret is that I never told you how I feel about you,' Beast said as he raised his hand and stroked her face tenderly.

'Tell me now Beast, tell me now and everything will be okay, I forgive you for every bad thing you think you've done to me. I don't regret that I met you. I only regret that I couldn't tell you how I felt that night on the balcony,' Belle said and she knew that she would tell him now.

'Belle I've loved you since the moment I saved you from that icy river.' Beast said and she smiled up at him.

'Beast I loved you since you showed me the library, since you gave me the library,' Belle replied and he gasped at that.

'What did you say Belle?' He asked nervously and she repeated herself.

'I love you Beast, I love you with every inch of my being,' Belle spoke and out of the corner of her eye she saw the witch that had bestowed upon her all of her magical instruments. What purpose did she have here?


	21. Charlie!

'What are you doing Isabelle?' The witch asked and Belle turned wondering how the woman knew her by her full name, she had only told her, her nick name the name that Red had called her by. This was yet another mystery for her to figure out wasn't it?

Yet she had no time to think it through or to even rationalise about this woman's connection to her because she felt Beast's heart beat its last beat. Tears fell from her eyes and she turned her gaze and her attention toward her mate, toward the male that she loved. But now he was gone.

'No, Beast, don't do this, wake up, don't die, don't die!' She begged but his heart had already given out. 'Why would you do this to me?' Belle cried out and fell forward on top of his beastly form and howled with agony, her tears dripping onto his fur coat and sinking through. 'Come back I love you damn it,' she said, her raging beginning to get the better of her now.

'Isabelle my darling there is something you must know,' the witch began and Belle turned to her, hope glittering in her eyes.

'Bring him back, bring him back now. Please, I will do anything for you, just bring him back, don't let him be dead. Oh this is all my fault,' Belle sobbed, drawing her knees to her chest and holding on tight.

'You're crying Belle?' Usha's voice called from behind her and Belle turned to see her once friend, now worst enemy, standing there a look of wonder on her face. Of course there was. Belle had never cried. At least not in any of her recollection, but she couldn't seem to stop the tears that flowed now.

'Silence, get away from me, you are no longer worthy of the title friend, get out of my garden or I will, or I will…' she trailed off knowing that, even though her friend had betrayed her she could not ever harm her. Red was the only friend that Belle had ever had and like a sister she had stood beside her.

'There is no need to bargain me to bring him back Isabelle, look,' the witch said and Belle could almost hear a smile in her voice. A smile, why when this woman had seemed so…_emotionless! _Belle had only known one other person as emotionless as this woman and she was supposed to be long dead. Could it be? She wondered to herself and then stopped when she felt something move directly behind her. Was it Beast?

'Beast,' she called out and when she turned she couldn't find him. The only thing that lay where he once had was a handsome man, with chocolate brown hair and the darkest of emeralds lay in his eyes. Eyes that she recognised but couldn't place, for she had never seen this man in her entire life. She would have remembered him, or would she, considering the fact that he was now as naked as the day that he was surely born.

'Beast!' Belle cried out more urgently now, standing and searching the garden. He might be dead, but somebody had taken his body and left in its place a man. Was this the witch's doing, to tempt her into changing her love?

'I am here Belle,' she turned with hope, but all she saw was the stranger making his way over to her. At her confused expression he proceeded to explain. 'I was born many centuries ago and I was placed under a curse by this witch,' he pointed an accusing finger. 'A curse she swore only her descendant could break.' Realisation hit his eyes as he spoke and he narrowed his eyes at her.

'What is the matter?' Belle asked, trying to comfort him, trying to hold him but he only turned away.

'You tricked me, you both tricked me, you were in this together!' He pointed his pale fingers accusingly first at her and then the witch. 'You are mother and daughter are you not? You sent her here? You knew that she would touch my roses, therefore ensuring my countdown,' Beast said and Belle shook her head, close to tears again. He was accusing her of trying to kill him? Why?

'My mother is dead Beast I am an orphan,' she tried to tell him but he would not hear of it.

'Actually that's not entirely true Isabelle,' the witch said and before she knew it, she was staring not at a stranger but the mother that had supposedly died. 'Oh don't look at me like that. I had to fake my death. I was supposed to be growing old but that never does work for me as an immortal witch. But look at you; you're everything I'd hoped you'd be. Isabelle you have changed so much since your last reincarnation, but you are still the daughter I know you to be, a little harder and stone faced when it comes to emotions, but at least you can cry for the things that you want, the people that you want. And hey who knows, maybe I agreed to curse you because I knew my daughter would only fall in love with her mate if he was something out of the ordinary, if he was something that was supposed to be reviled and feared. After all my daughter always did love the monsters,' the witch, her mother, said and memories of a time Belle had never before seen flitted through her mind.

She remembered being a woman in another time, another place, something like medieval and she could see herself in a forest looking for something. A werewolf her memory whispered and she remembered wanting to see how it functioned and what it did. Her mother was right. She did love the beasts.

'You did this for my own good?' Beast asked and the witch nodded.

'Now you can truly have a blood offspring as you have always desired Charlie,' mother announced and Belle thought of that. She had always wanted to be a mother, always wanted a family to replace the corrupt one she had known.

'Charlie?' Belle called out and when she reached him he suddenly wore clothing, she shot her mother a look and hugged him tight to her when she reached him. 'Thank god you're alive, I love you, I love you so much. I loved you as a beast and I love you now.' With those words of love she was treat to a kiss, a kiss so passionate and filled with heat that she could not ignore her own growing desire for him. At least now they would fit better together.

'And I love you Belle, come with me to my wing and lets waste the night,' he suggested and she giggled, actually giggled for the first time in any of her existences.


End file.
